Meet The Cabots
by Bellatrix wannabe 89
Summary: It's Christmas, and Olivia is meeting Alex's parents for the first time. Theres just one little issue; they don't know Alex is gay or in love and living with Olivia. Will Olivia convince Alex to come out, and will the stuffy Cabots even like Olivia? AO
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing but the plot and my own people

A/N What is Christmas without a fanfiction based on a show about rape and murder to include lesbian lovers? AO pairing

December 20, 7:00 PM, Alex's brown stone

"Okay; kitchen cleaned, bath rooms scrubbed, dishes done, laundry folded and put away. Do I have every thing for dinner? Oh no I got to go shopping, but I still have to clean the bedrooms!" Alex paced back and forth, trying to figure out her predicament when Olivia walked in.

"Alex, I'm home!" Olivia cried out, putting her hat and coat on the small coat rack next to the door, shaking the snow from her hair.

Alex broke out in a smile and ran to meet her in the door way and hugged her.

"Oh I'm so glad your home!"Alex squealed, holding her tighter.

Olivia just shrugged then hugged her back.

"I like coming home early."

Alex released the hug then handed her a note from the table she had written out.

"I need you to go to the store and get all these things. And hurry up please, like, we only have minutes to spare," Alex told her hastily before she rushed into the kitchen.

Olivia looked after her in confusion before she went into the kitchen, where she saw Alex on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors.

"Um, Alex, sweetie, what's up?" asked Olivia, allowing herself a tiny glance down her shirt.

"I can't talk now. They're coming in like twenty minutes."

"Who?"

"My parents."

Olivias eyes widened in both fear and shock. Never before had she met Alex's parents and Alex barely talked about them.

"Wait... you mean today? Oh my god, why didn't you tell me!" Olivia cried, running a hand through her brown locks that looked disheveled from the snow and wind.

"I'm sorry, babe," Alex said, not looking up from the floor. "I was gonna but they called this morning and I didn't want to worry you."

"You're right. Hearing that I'm gonna meet your parents who I've never met in twenty minutes is a lot more calming!"

"I'm sorry but I was too busy cleaning all day to call you."

Olivia closed her eyes then rubbed her temples.

"All right," she sighed, "what do you want me to do?"

"I'll make the dinner if you do the shopping."

Olivia nodded then went to the door where she put back on her coat and hat.

"So," Olivia asked from the door way, "do your parents know they're meeting your girlfriend?"

Alex closed her eyes in defeat before she got up and walked over to her.

"Liv... you know how much I love you, right?"

"Yeah. Why, what's up?"

"And you know." Alex walked over and draped her arms around her and softly kissed her on the lips. "That I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

"Alex, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

Alex swallowed her fear before she took a deep breath, trying to calm her frayed nerves.

"They don't know I have a girlfriend."

Olivia took a step backwards, her eyes wide with shock and anger.

"What? Your parents don't know that you have a girlfriend! Oh my God, Alex, why the hell didn't you tell them over the past year we've been together!"

Alex shrugged

"I, I um. Well it, I uh..."

"I um it what, Alex!" she yelled "I can not believe you! Do they even know you're gay?" Olivia asked letting out a small laugh, not being serious at all.

Alex looked down at the floor, and Olivia stopped mid laugh.

"Oh my God!"

"Well I just haven't been able to tell them yet."

"Its been thirty seven years! How haven't you been able to tell them!"

Alex stammered before she shrugged, unable to come up with a reason..

"They have a very high standard of me! If they knew I was a lesbian, then they would get all upset and... well I just can't tell them! They think that they are the most perfect people in the world. Rich and has a successful child, and if they find out about me, they'd be crushed. They're really strict."

Alex bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from coming before she went over and sat on the couch.

Olivia groaned softly before she too went over to her and sat down next to her.

"You have got to tell them," Olivia said softly, taking her hand in hers.

"I can't," Alex said on the verge of tears.

"Yes you can. I told my mom, and the squad. Well, they guessed, but I told my mom. Alex, you have to tell them."

Alex let a tear roll down her face.

"Liv, you just don't get it!" she yelled. "I am supposed to be the 'perfect' women. Perfect job, perfect house, marry the perfect man with the same qualities as me and have a perfect child who's supposed to repeat the entire God damn perfect freaking process. And so far, I've gotten the first two down, and since I'm a lesbian, that disrupts the entire cycle. If my parents found out that I'm doing that, then they'll hate me. Please, Liv, don't make me tell them."

Olivia moved her hand up and wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"Look, sweetie, I can't make you do anything, and if you want, then we can keep our mouths shut this weekend."

Alex looked up at her and smiled, and wiped away her tears

"Thank you. But um, it isn't just this weekend, its until January 2."

"What? Alex, you can't expect them to stay that long!"

"Well they're my parents, Liv, and they wanna spend Christmas with me. Please don't make this difficult."

Olivia sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Fine fine, I won't be difficult."

Alex's face broke out in a huge grin before she tightly embraced Olivia.

"Thank you! I love you so much!"

"I love you too. Even if you do annoy me sometimes."

"Yeah but you liked being annoyed by me though, so it all works out."

"Good point."

The two women grinned at one another before Alex leaned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Hey can you do me a favor? Go clean the guest room for me?"

"I thought I was going shopping?"

"We can just go out. I'm gonna go change okay?"

Alex gave her another quick kiss, then went off to their bedroom.

Olivia just shook her head then went into the guest bedroom and began to clean it up, throwing a majority of the things into hamper.

A few minutes later, Alex appeared in the doorway.

"You clean really fast," Alex told her, stepping in the almost clean bedroom.

Olivia turned around to face her, and her eyes widened, and she looked her up and down.

She was wearing a pair of black Prada pants with a crimson colored long sleeved top that showed off her curves perfectly.

"Wow, you look... just wow."

Alex blushed a deep scarlet and looked down at the ground.

"Thank you," she mumbled, a shy grin growing on her face.

Olivia chuckled then went up to her.

"I love when you act all shy and innocent."

Alex looked up at her as Olivia wrapped her arms around her.

"Really?"

"Definitely, it's very sexy."

Alex blushed again and Olivia pulled her into a deep kiss. Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia and pulled her in closer.

But they were interrupted by a loud doorbell

"Oh my god they're here!" Alex cried, her voice going up several octaves in fright, practically throwing Olivia off of her. "Alright, um, just put the rest of the stuff in the hamper okay? We can get though this," she muttered more to herself then to Olivia before she dashed downstairs, which was hard to do since she was wearing high heels.

Olivia rolled her eyes then put the rest of the stuff in the small hamper, then put the pictures she had put on the dresser in the side drawer.

Alex ran to the door and took a deep breath, closing her light blue eyes..

"Okay, Alex, you can get through this. You'll be fine," she told herself, forcing herself to believe her words."

Alex opened up the door and put on a large fake smile her parents had been accustomed to seeing these last few years.

"Mom, dad!" she welcomed the two people standing on the door step.

"Alexandra, how good it is to see you again!" Lila Cabot cried happily.

Alex smiled at her then hugged her.

"What? Your father doesn't get a hug too?" Max Cabot asked, feigning hurt.

Alex let go of her mother and hugged her father

"I'm sorry, dad. How are you?"

"Fine, oh I missed you so much!" he told her, hugging her back. Alex released him and smiled at the two of them.

"Oh my, you look so beautiful, Alexandra! But you look a tad, well, lets just say you look like you've grown a size since I last saw you," her mother said in a disapproving tone while looking her over. Alex held back an eye roll.

"No, mom, I'm still a size four. But anyway I'm sorry, will you please come in?" she asked, putting her fake smile again.

"Of course, dear," Lila answered as she and her husband followed her into the house.

Olivia put the last of the things away, then took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Oh great," she mumbled softly as she looked at her reflection. She had very little makeup on, and her hair was brushed, but it just hung limp around her shoulders.

She made a tiny effect to make her hair look somewhat done, but gave it up as a lost cause.

"Well, hopefully they like me despite the hair."

Olivia took a deep breath before she stuck her chin out and walked out of the room, looking far more brave then she actually felt.

When she reached the steps, and saw what Alex's parents were wearing, she groaned louder, all hints of fake courage disappearing.

They both had on outfits that probably cost more then her and Elliots weekly paychecks combined. And she was dressed in a pair of thirty dollar jeans, and a gray long sleeve shirt. She took a deep breath and went down stairs.

"Hello," Olivia said happily, trying her hardest to sound dignified.

Alex looked at her and smiled

"Mother, father, this is detective Olivia Benson," Alex said, motioning to her as Olivia made her way down the steps.

Lila looked over Olivia, and she forced herself not to blush, or give away any fear. "Olivia this is my mother Lila, and my father the honorable Maximus Cabot the third."

"Oh enough with the honorable judge talk," Max said with a chuckle. "It's very nice to meet you, Olivia."

"Yes, quite. Such a.. pleasure to meet you, Miss. Benson."

Although Lila was smiling, her disapproving eyes gave everything away.

Olivias smiled faltered for a moment, but she quickly got it back.

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cabot. Alex has told me so much about you."

Lila simply nodded, then turned to Alex

"So, Alexandra, where can we put our luggage?" Lila asked holding up her five bags of luggage.

"I'll take it to the guest bedroom," Alex told them picking up the bags.

"Well, dear, come on, now, we just got here. Let her take them up. Unless, of course, Miss. Benson objects," asked Lila, looking between Olivia and Alex.

"Really, mother, I don't think Olivia should-"

"No, Alex, its fine" Olivia said picking up the bags, slightly groaning under her weight.

"I'll help."

Alex made a move to also grab some of the heavy bags.

"Oh, Alexandra, from the way you say it, she hardly pays any rent. Not that she can afford it," she whispered just loud enough for Olivia to hear it.

"Come on now, darling, I'd love to see the rest of the house," Lila told her going over to Alex, taking the luggage from her, and thrusting it at Olivia who's arms were already full.

Alex cast a glance over at Olivia who was forcing herself not to glare in anger at the beautiful blond woman she had fallen in love with.

"Okay. Sure, come on I'll show you around."

She looked over at Olivia and mouthed 'I'm sorry' at her, but Olivia just glowered at her, and Alex hurried herself and her parents out of the room.

"This is gonna be a long two weeks," Olivia repeated quietly as she carried all the luggage to the spare bedroom.

"Holy shit what the hell did they pack!" Olivia exclaimed loudly throwing the heavy bags on the bed.

"And this is where you'll be sleeping" Alex's voice sounded before all three walked into the room.

"Well this is a nice little bedroom."

"Yes," Max added "quite cozy. Uh, where will Fluffy be sleeping?"

Olivia looked between a wide eyed Alex and Max, trying to figure out who exactly they were talking about. "Fluffy?"

"yes, our Fluffykins. He's our little dog," Lila told her, true happiness radiating in her voice.

"A dog? Alex, you didn't tell me your parents had a dog!" Olivia growled, her eyes narrowing in anger at a guilt ridden Alex.

"Um, well, its not that big a dog," Alex lied, avoiding her lovers eyes.

Just then, a large booming WOOF came from down stairs, then a huge pure bred Boxer came running up the stairs, bounding for Olivia.

Olivias eyes got wide, then the dog lept on her and pushed her down.

"Alex, get this mutt off me now!" Olivia screamed, dodging the dogs humongous tongue.

Alex went over to the dog and grabbed a hold of its collar.

"Come on, Fluffy, get off" she groaned, trying to pull the large, monestrous dog off of her.

When she finally managed to, Olivia stood up, wiped the fur off her, and glared at Alex.

"The dog isn't staying!" Olivia yelled, her breathing already becoming shallow.

"Yes but, this dog is a championship show dog. So it can't just be thrown out," Lila protested, patting the now calm dog on the head.

"Well then keep it locked up in the car or something because it is not staying in this house."

Olivia struggled to get in a deep breath and had to hold onto the drawer to keep from passing out, and began to fell her throat beginning to close up. Lila rolled her eyes.

"Come, Alexandra, must we really throw out our little Fluffy just because your room mate gets a wee bit sick? After all, the dog is probably worth more then her," she added whispering it to Alex, but loud enough so that Olivia heard.

"Mom, you don't get it, Liv is really allergic, and if she's around dogs her throat closes up, and it's just... well trust me it's bad, and I'm not putting her through that," Alex told them remembering the time that Alex had brought home a baby collie for a surprise for Olivia, and having to rush her to the hospital right in the nick of time.

"But, Alexandra, this dog is worth over fifty thousand dollars. Where am I supposed to put her?"

"Well, Lila, if she is severely allergic to dogs, then maybe Fluffy can be kept in the garage," Max offered patting Fluffy on the head

"Oh, Max, shut up. This prize winning, beautiful, championship dog is not sleeping in a garage. No he isn't, no he isn't," she said using a baby voice and bending over to get close to Fluffys face.

"Well either its staying in the garage or its staying in the car, but it isn't staying in the house," Olivia said, her voice getting raspier, and Alex rushed over and helped her sit down on the bed, her heart pounding so loud she was sure her parents could hear it. Lila glared at Olivia, before she went out of the room,. Fluffy following.

"Come, Fluffy, obviously _some_ people can't handle the fact that your worth ten times of what they'll ever be."

Olivia glared at her back as she led Fluffy out of the room. Max turned to Olivia who was clearly having a hard time breathing

"I'm sorry, Miss Benson, It's just my wife is very fond of Fluffy. Got into the state dog show and took grand champion, won second place in nationals. So you will forgive her if she seems a tad bit uptight."

Olivia nodded because her throat hurt to much to say anything. Max gave her a quick smile before turning to Alex

"Well I should probably help your mother with Fluffys things, his bed is probably worth more then this suit," he mumbled before retreating out of the bedroom. Alex turned to Olivia who was now struggling to breathe

"All you alright?" she asked nervously

"No," she wheezed out.

"I'm calling 911," Alex told her, starting to dial the number.

Olivia shook her head

"Just give me a second," she whispered before she closed her eyes and took some deep calming breaths. After a few of those she stood back up

"Why didn't you tell me they were bringing a dog?" she whispered raspily, the breaths had cleared her throat some, but it still hurt for her to talk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know they were bringing him, I swear, Olivia. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Well this was a hell of a way to meet your parents, they think I'm some poor cop who can't afford my own rent and I kicked there championship dog out of the house. I made a great first impression."

Olivia groaned and fell back on the bed, closing her eyes in defeat.

Alex sighed then also laid down and turned her head towards her

"They love you its just, well... my moms shallow and she think she's better then everyone. Don't worry about it, Liv, my dad seemed to like you," she offered, desperate to give her some good news. Olivia nodded then Alex leaned in and kissed her. She released it then Olivia looked at her

"Not that I'm objecting, but what was that for?" Alex shrugged then gave her a sly smile.

"Figure you deserve that for almost choking to death for me."

"Oh I'm gonna need a lot more then a kiss to put up with you," Olivia whispered, planting small kisses on her neck.

"Oh, and what's that?" Alex breathed, gently nuzzling her neck.

"I think you know," Olivia whispered once more before moving a hand up Alex's shirt. Alex let her massage her breast for a moment before she pushed Olivia's hand back down

"Liv, my parents are right down stairs," she groaned, wishing more then anything that they weren't.

"So? we're just pretend that this is high school and we have to be be really, really quiet," she chuckled, kissing her on the spot on the neck where it drove her crazy.

"Oh but in high school, I was a innocent little angel" Alex answered, suppressing a moan.

"Then I'll have to change that won't I?"

Olivia kissed her hungrily, and Alex pulled her on top of her, running a hand through her brown locks.

"Alex," Olivia moaned, running her hands over her body, resting her hands on her pants, slowly unzipping them and pulling them down before kissing her stomach.

"Excuse me, Alexandra, but where is your bathro- What are you doing?" Lila asked, walking in the room unnoticed.

Olivia struggled to think of an excuse, anything that would seem at least somewhat excusable.

"See, this does relax your muscles," Olivia said quickly begining to rub Alex's inner thighs. Alex let out a small breath and thanked god for Olivia's quick thinking, although at the same time, and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from groaning.

"Excuse me?" Lila asked confused, not entirely buying the act. Olivia turned around and gave Lila a large fake smile.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you come in. I was just showing Alex some massage movements I know, it really relaxes the leg muscles if you do it right. Isn't that right, Alex?" Olivia said turning back to Alex, unable to hold back a smug smile, knowing the effect she was having on her..

"Yes," she whispered "wow that feels good, now what is it you wanted mom?" she asked looking past Olivia, struggling to ignore the feel of Olivias soft hands on her..

"I was wondering where your bathroom is, I need to freshen up," she said giving an cold look towards Olivia who looked like she was ignoring it.

Olivia rolled off her then Alex got off the bed and smoothed out her outfit and pulled up her pants before going over to her mother

"It's right around the corner, I'll show you."

Lila nodded before leaving the room, but not before giving Olivia a small glare. Alex sighed then turned to Olivia who looked as depressed as she felt.

"Just like high school huh?" Olivia scoffed

"Yeah, just like high school," Alex gave her a small smile then left the room. Olivia sighed then collapsed on the bed.

"Except my girlfriends parents aren't completley snobby, bitchy, and in denial," she thought to herself with a sigh.

Pleaseee review


	2. Chapter 2

I own no one but my own people

A/N Wow, thanks for the mega good reviews, y'all. Those inspire me just as much as the Christmas music I listen to while writing this. And in all honesty, out of all my OC's from all my stories in all the categories I write in, Lila is shaping out to be one of my favorites.

"Alexandra, are you ready to go yet?" her mother shouted up the stairs.

"I'll be right down!" Alex yelled back, tearing up her closet looking for her black heels that matched her dress.

"Can't you just wear another pair of shoes? Doesn't black go with everything?" Olivias voice sounded muffled as she spoke from under the bed, also looking for Alex's shoes.

"No. Now where the hell could they have gone," she muttered, still continuing to look through her closet.

"You know," Olivia grumbled as she climbed out from under the bed, wiping the dust from her own dress. "It probably would have been better if you had gotten these things around before dinner."

"We were supposed to stay in!" Alex campaigned as she ran over to the dresser and beginning to pull out the drawers, trying desperately to think of where she could have put hem.

"Good gracious, Alexandra!" Lila's pretentious voice rang out once more, "we're going to be late!"

"I'll be right there, mother!"

Alex groaned as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Just wear another dress! You have your blue shoes right there," Olivia said, pointing to a pair of heels Alex had thrown out of her closet in search for her black ones.

Alex scoffed before turning to Olivia, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You really want me to wear the blue dress in front of my mother? The woman who still thinks I'm a virgin?"

Olivia's eyes widened in shock, complete taken aback. "She what?"

Alex blushed deeply before she looked down at the ground. "She... she still thinks I'm a virgin."

"Oh god, Alex," Olivia grumbled, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "You're thirty seven years old and living in New York City. How on earth does she think you're still a virgin?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to be the one to tell her."

Olivia shook her head before she climbed back under the bed, seeing if she had missed the dark shoes by accident. "So she still thinks you're a virgin, you're straight, and single... and I thought I kept secrets from my mother."

Alex's blush grew but said nothing against her, knowing she was right.

"Well I'm going to go see what's holding her up!" Lila announced loudly, before storming up the steps, and Olivia quickly dragged herself out of the bed, and dusted herself out once more.

"Alexandra Lilian Cabot, we're going to be- oh good lord, there's a prostitute in your bedroom."

Olivias eyes widened and turned around, trying to figure out what she meant when she turned back, and realized she was talking about her.

"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, much more snippy then intended.

Lila looked her up and down, visibly cringing in disgust, smoothing out her own ankle length blue dress that had cost more then two of Olivias monthly paychecks.. "You... you're not wearing that to dinner, are you, Miss. Benson?"

"What's wrong with it?" Olivia demanded, looking down at one of her favorite dresses.

It was a fire red spaghetti strap that came down several inches short of her knee that showed off what Olivia believed was a reasonable amount of cleavage. Not to much, but it wasn't hiding anything.

"It just looks a bit tacky... and cheap, and embarrassing, and not respectful in any amount of a degree. I mean for a woman of your size and age, that dress really isn't all that appropriate."

"Alright, why don't we just-" Alex began, but Olivia held up a hand to silence her.

"First off, I'm only forty four," Olivia snapped, trying to hold her head up her head high when she said it, praying to god the wrinkles around her eyes didn't stand out as much as she thought they were doing at the moment, "I still got six more years before I start worrying about my age. Second, 'my size'? What exactly do you mean by that, Lila?"

Lila scoffed and looked at her in the same disbelieved look Alex had given her minutes ago. "Well you're no size one, Miss. Benson."

"Bathroom!" Alex cried, pulling Olivia with her. "I just remembered there in the bathroom! I need you to help me reach them. Come on, Liv."

Olivia glowered at her for a moment before she followed Alex out of the room, silently thinking she would wake an appointment with a plastic surgeon for botox sometime soon.

"I can't believe her!" Alex groaned as she and Olivia raced to the bathroom, where, sure enough, Alex's heels laid under the sink cabinet. "Thinking she can talk to you like that!"

"Well you didn't seem to be of any help," Olivia grumbled, although Alex was so preoccupied with strapping her shoes on, she didn't hear her.

Alex stood up and went over to Olivia, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Olivia, I swear to you," she whispered giving her a soft kiss. "I swear on my life I'll talk to her, get her to apologize, something. You don't deserve that. Plus that dress looks amazing on you, and if we weren't going to dinner right now, I'd throw you down and make love to you right now."

Olivia chuckled softly before she wrapped her arms around Alex as well. "Oh, baby... you'll have to do a lot better then that for what I'm putting through for you."

"But is it a start?"

Olivia grinned and nodded. "Yes, it's a start. Now come on, Alexandra, I dare say, if we're a tad late, I do not think that I would be able to stand the shame!" Olivia said, her voice uncannily resembling Lila's.

Alex chuckled before the two women left the bathroom where Lila was waiting impatiently, tapping her foot.

"Can we go now? I dare say, reservations to Monte Carlo are nearly impossible to come by!"

"I'm sorry," Alex muttered as she and Olivia pushed by her and the three went down the steps where Max was waiting.

He looked up at Alex and smiled at her. "You look beautiful, honey."

"Thanks, dad," Alex muttered, and Olivia had to hold back a smile as she saw her blush once more.

"You too, Olivia," he said with a kind, almost sympathetic smile, and both Alex and Olivia had a feeling that he heard what Lila had said and was now trying to make silent amends for it.

Olivia accepted anyway and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Max."

"Shall we get going then?" he asked, getting the keys from his pocket as Lila grabbed her purse from the table.

"Yes, please! Goodness knows how late we are already!"

Alex and Olivia shared a look before they grabbed their coats and made their way out of the door, locking it behind them.

As soon as Olivia laid eyes on their car, she let out a low whistle.

"A Ferrari Enzo? you own a Ferrari Enzo?"

"Oh this old thing? I have one more in Aspen. Doesn't everyone?" asked Lila, giving Olivia a look she thought was puzzling, but she could see right through it.

"Well since the Ferrari only sits two how about we take my car?" Alex said, looking between Olivia and her mother, neither backing down.

"Fine, lets," Olivia muttered, restraining herself from slamming into Lila on the way to her lovers car.

Olivia was not rich, not in the slightest, nor was Elliot, Fin, Munch, or any other detective working in the squad. Yes Elliot had a slightly higher check then her simply due to the fact he was a grade one and had been on the force much longer then she had, but other then that... they had all hung out with the people who made around the same amount of money, Alex, Warner, and Huang being pretty much the only exceptions, but neither bragged about it, neither shoved their money in the detectives faces.

Alex looked after Olivia a bit before she too went to her car.

"I'll drive," Olivia told Alex, leaving no room for argument as she took the keys from her, and Alex swallowed a retort as Olivia got in the drivers side, nearly slamming the door shut.

"God help us," Alex muttered, having experience first hand Olivias rather reckless driving.

"What is it, you own again, Alexandra?" Lila asked as she got in the back seat of the car.

"A Porsche Carrera GT, " Alex answered getting in the passenger seat.

"Oh and what car do you own, Miss Benson?" Lila said with a slight smugness in her voice.

Alex closed her eyes in defeat as Olivia began to drive off and hoped to god that the drive would be short.

"I own two actually," Olivia said, holding her head high, trying to pull off the same smugness that Lila just had.

"That wasn't a complete lie," she thought to herself, thinking of the car she had to drive almost every day.

She owned one car and then she had the Grand Prix that her and Elliot used for work and had to be parked at the precinct that was paid for by the city.

"Really, what make and year?"

"Does it matter, Lila? I mean who-" Max began but Lila interrupted him

"Now, Max, be quiet a moment, darling. Miss. Benson was telling us what I'm sure are two luxurious car she owns."

Alex gave Olivia a sympathetic look before looking back out the window, praying to god that her mother would let it drop.

"I own a 94 Dodge Neon and a 2002 Grand Prix," Olivia said, again with the proud tone in her voice..

"Oh really? Why that's most impressive, I must say. On your salary, of course."

"You know how about you take my cars and shove-"

"So, dad, what do you want for Christmas this year," Alex interrupted Olivia, looking in the rear view mirror, pleading Max to answer, to help steer the conversation away from the current subject of money, and to hopefully decrease the growing speedometer.

"I would really love that new book on Criminal Ethics by Steven Harningway. What do you want, Alex?" Max said, knowing what she was trying to do.

"I'm not sure yet. Olivia, what's on your mind?"

Olivia stayed silent and continued to drive, ignoring Alex, and the speed limit.

"Mother?" Alex asked, a hint of despair in her voice, but Lila too ignored Alex and stared out the window.

Alex groaned softly and again looked at her dad in the mirror who shrugged, unable to come up with a semi reasonable excuse as to get the two talking once more.

When Olivia pulled up to the restaurant, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least in there, the silence could be explained away with eating unlike it had been in the car.

"We're here," Olivia announced pulling into the parking lot and shutting off the car.

"To my amazement in one piece!" Lila exclaimed, clutching her heart and breathing heavily, as if she had just survived a plane crash. "I swear, Miss. Benson, the way you drive... it's a miracle we don't have a trail of fire and smoke behind us!"

Olivia turned to a silent Alex who was looking down at the ground for a moment before she shook her head in disbelief.

"Come on, Max. I need some air," Lila breathed as she got out of the car, Max following.

Olivia all but broke the seat belt and the window as she threw it away from her, making a move to get out of the car.

"Liv, hold up a second," Alex said holding her back after her parents had left the car.

"What?" Olivia snapped, not even bothering to hide the anger in her words.

Alex let out a small whimper as she swallowed her fear. "I just want you to know that whatever my mother does tonight is not your fault."

"No, but you let her think it is. Why aren't you sticking up for me, Alex? You're letting her insult and walk all over me."

"Baby, I'm sorry. But that's how my mother is, that how she's always acted to people who are beneath her- I didn't mean it like that," Alex insisted, seeing Olivias eyes widen at Alex's choice of words.

"So you think your mother is better then me?"

"No! Olivia, it was just a wrong use of words. You know I don't think that about you."

"Is it the money? Maybe I should quit my job and go become a judge. Would that make you happy? Maybe then you wouldn't be so ashamed of me."

"Olivia , stop!" Alex pleaded, taking her hands in hers, and frowned when she pulled them away once more. "I'm not ashamed of you. I love you, Olivia, more then life itself. Please lets just get through this week, and we can go back to being an exceedingly happy couple without the interference of my ice queen of a mother."

She leaned in to try to kiss her on the lips, and Alex felt her heart break when Olivia turned her head away from her.

"Lets just go eat," Olivia muttered as she got out of the car, nearly slamming the door behind her.

Alex felt tears well up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, and got out of the car, shutting the door.

She began to walk to the restaurant , her head down before she heard Olivia walk beside her.

Olivia reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

Alex looked up at Olivia who gave her a soft smile, before she let go of her hand.

"I hate it when you cry," Olivia whispered, gently rubbing the small of her back as she two walked into the restaurant where Lila and Max was waiting.

"Miss Benson, I must ask, isn't it a little odd eating where they don't have a dollar menu and a drive though?" Lila asked, feigning innocence.

Olivia glowered at her but Lila simply smiled smugly at her before turning around in the line.

Max gave Olivia a sympathetic smile before also turning around and continued to wait in the small line.

"I'm so sorry," Alex whispered only to Olivia, panic in her voice, worried this would cause another tiff.

Olivia simply shrugged, her face not showing any emotion what so ever.

They got to the reservation manager and he looked up and smiled at them.

"Welcome to Monte Carlo how may I help you?"

"Cabot reservation for four" Lila said in a snotty accent, and Olivia didn't even bother to hide her snicker.

The man quickly looked it up then looked back at them

"I'm sorry, Mam, the reservation was only for three."

Lila turned around, frowning, as if she didn't already know the news, but Olivia could see right through it

"I'm so sorry, Miss Benson, but apparently whoever made the reservation only called in for three."

"You made the reservation though, mother!" Alex snipped, unable to hide her anger.

"Must have been some sort of mistake then, Oh well, I'm sure Miss Benson can manage on her own for dinner."

"Lila, come on now, look you and the girls have a good time. I'll just get some Chinese and catch a cab back to Alex's," Max said trying to maintain the peace.

"But I so wanted this to be a family outing. You can manege right, Miss Benson?" Lila asked, turning to her, a look of pleading on her face that Olivia wanted to slap off of her.

"Yeah, It'll be fine, I'll see you at home, Alex," Olivia muttered before leaving the restaurant Alex just turned and gave a small glare to her mom then also walked out

"Liv wait!" Alex cried catching up to her. Olivia turned and looked at her, and Alex was held at bay by the glare.

"You have no idea how bad I feel about this," Alex whispered. "Olivia, I swear I had no idea she would sink this low."

"Whatever, Alex, It's no big deal. I'm sure I can manage. Go and have fun with your parents," Olivia said with an eye roll and scoff, doubting that she would.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, frowning at her lover.

"Yeah go, I'll see you at home. I love you."

Olivia turned and walked to the curb, holding out her hand and letting out a shrill whistle, quickly flagging down a cab.

"I'm sorry!" Alex told her again as she got in the cab and drove off.

**Three Hours later.**

"Give me the Moo Shu," Olivia grumbled as he took the Moo Shu Pork from Elliots free hand as she leaned up against him, his arms wrapped around her, trying to comfort his best friend.

"Two helpings of Moo Shu pork without a diet soda? She really must be as bad as you say," Elliot chuckled.

"Shut up," Olivia grumbled as she stabbed the container with her chop sticks before putting it down on the coffee table.

"Oh come on," Elliot told her, gently kissing the top of her head. "She can't be all bad."

"You have no idea, Elliot! She's the biggest bitch I have ever met in my life!"

"I know, but if she's gonna be your in-law one of these days your gonna have to deal with it."

"She hates me!" Olivia cried, pulling away from him to look at him. "She hasn't even known me less then half a day and she hates me! Do you know that they don't even know she's gay yet?"

Elliot looked at her in utter disbelief. "What?"

"They don't know she's gay. She never told them, how stupid and blind are they?" Olivia grumbled, once again collapsing against him.

"Well come on, Liv, you're not being fair. You didn't even know until she made a move on you. In fact, when she first joined, weren't you trying to hook her and Fin up, and kept on missing the hints she was laying on you that she was more into holes then poles?"

"So?" Olivia muttered, ignoring his question. "It should still be obvious to her own parents. Do you know they have a dog? And not just some little Poodle either I'm talking about. I mean a huge ass Boxer."

"I thought you couldn't breathe when dogs were around you?"

"I can't! But there precess little Fluffy can't sleep in a garage. Because god forbid there championship dog is a wee bit cold." She felt Elliots shake as he held back a laugh.

"It's not funny! stop laughing at me!" she ordered, hitting him none too gently outside the head.

"I'm sorry, Liv, but this is like the mother in law from hell!" he managed to breathe through his laughter.

"Its not funny, Elliot! She is truly a bitch!"

Elliots laughter died down to a chuckle "I'm sorry, want me to strip for you?"

"Well I could use a good laugh," she said looking thoughtful.

"Please. One look at me without anything on... I'd definitely make you re think your whole go for girls position, " he said with a smug smile.

"Not even in your dreams. You give a new meaning to the term inch worm."

"That is hitting below the belt, Benson!" Elliot cried, feigning hurt. "Just because your biggest assets are what, A cups? Is no reason to be bitter."

"Try D's, partner," she said, unable to withhold a smile.

"And how much did you spend to get those D's?" he asked, dodging her fist once more.

"Please. You know these girls are all natural. You're just jealous because these are on the look but no touch display."

Elliot chuckled again before held her in his arms once more. "You'll see, one day I'll cop one, you watch. One unsuspecting day... Seriously though, Liv. Do you love her?"

Olivia nodded, unable to hold back a smile just at the thought of her. "More then life itself, Elliot. I don't know what I would do without her."

"Then you gotta take the good with the bad, to include her parents. And just think, you only have to deal with her parents what, a few times a year? Isn't spending every other day with Alex worth a few days of torture?"

Olivia sighed. "How do you know so much about this?"

Elliot shrugged. "I've been married before, Olivia. I know a thing or two about in laws you can't stand."

"Well I picked the cream of the crop," she muttered before the front door opened.

Olivia quickly pulled out of Elliots embrace and instead sat beside him.

"I'm telling you, Alexandra, he's a very pleasant young man. I don't see why you just don't ask him out," Lila's voice rang out.

"Just drop it," Alex groaned as she came into the living room, not even able to form a half hearted hello to Elliot.

Lila and Max followed and Lila eyed Elliot.

"Mother, father; this is Elliot Stabler. Elliot, this is my mother and father Max and Lila Cabot."

"Nice to meet you," he said standing up and sticking out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Elliot," Max said, taking his hand and shaking it.

He then turned to Lila who simply looked at it in question before she managed a weak smile. "Yes, very nice to meet you. Mr Stabler."

Lila turned to Alex and walked over to her. "Alexandra," she whispered, but Elliot heard her loud and clear. "Is he the one that's... D-I-V-O-R-C-E-D?"

Alex simply looked at her for a moment before she shook her head and turned to a rather stunned Elliot.

"Uh yeah, going on four months now," he muttered, looking down at the ground.

Olivia offered him a sympathetic smile and bean to rub his shoulders.

Elliot looked up at her and managed a half smile before they both turned back to Lila, who seemed rather scandalized at the innocent touching.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, Mr. Stabler, why did you get divorced? I mean it sounds like you really miss her."

Elliot shrugged, "Kathy couldn't handle the job, or the hours. Plus it's not like I could come home and talk to her about my cases, you know."

Alex almost felt her heart break for Kathy. She didn't know what she would do if Olivia couldn't talk to her about her day, if she couldn't come to her about her problems at work.

Alex knew that if she hadn't of been assigned to the SVU, Olivia would have done the same to her as Elliot had done to Kathy, shut her out, not talked to her about anything about her job, the cases, the perps... it would have been too lonely.

Lila understood, a frown on her face. "Well surly there has to be some way you two could talk it out. I mean what does she do for a living? You may be able to find some parallel ground."

"She's a nurse at Mercy. I mean I guess she does see some bad stuff at work, but-"

"A nurse, how lovely! And a job, in my opinion, much better fitted for a woman then say, a cop?"

"Excuse me?" Olivia snapped, standing up in a hurry, Elliot following in a heartbeat.

"Calm down," he whispered softly, gently rubbing her shoulder's but also holding on to them slightly incase he needed to restrain her.

Olivia took a deep breath before she pulled out of Elliots hold

"I'll walk you out," Olivia grumbled, taking another deep breath.

"Alex, are we still on for tomorrow?" Elliot asked grabbing his coat form the coach, missing Alex shaking her head 'no' frantically behind her mother.

"On for what?" Lila asked in confusion.

"The squad is going Christmas shopping tomorrow."

He looked over at Olivia who looked positively angry that he had raveled their plans tomorrow before he turned back to Lila, knowing his next words would get him in deep with his partner. "You're more then welcome to join us."

If the wasn't so many witnesses in her living room right then, Olivia would have shot him with her service revolver right then and there, best friend and partner or not.

"I think that'll be a great idea," Max said with a smile before Lila could speak, "and we'll get to meet all your friends from work, Alex."

Alex could do nothing but nod. "Su- sure. Why not?"

"So then it's settled. Meet us up at the mall around ten?"

"Be glad too," Max said, clapping Elliot on the back.

Elliot grinned back before he turned to Olivia, who was glaring such daggers at him, it was a miracle that he didn't drop dead on the living room floor.

He smirked at her before he let himself out. "See ya later, Liv."

"He's dead," Olivia vowed to herself, sitting back down on the couch. "I swear on my life he's dead!"

Alex sighed before she sat down by Olivia, and it took all her strength not to collapse into her arms.

Lila cleared her throat. "Well, I must say, he.. he certainly met my expectations, Alex. I now understand completley why he choose who he choose."

Olivia looked from a wide eyed Alex to Lila. "Choose who? Kathy?"

"You mean he want back to her? Oh, I'm sorry, Olivia, we didn't know," Max said with true sympathy.

"No, he's still divorced, he hasn't gone back to her."

"So you two are still together then?"

Olivia nodded, not fully understanding the question. "We've been together for over eleven years. I mean we had a few times when we were apart because the captain thought our relationship was getting in the way of us doing our job, but other then that, we've always been together."

"Even when he was married? Oh good gracious, I need to sit down!" Lila cried, sitting down on a chair, fanning herself with her hand.

"Well yeah. Just because he was married doesn't mean we couldn't be together."

"Oh god," Alex groaned softly before standing up and gesturing for Olivia to do the same.

"Liv, I need your help to reach the wine in the top shelf in the kitchen... now please."

Olivia looked at her in confusion, seeing as how the liquor was kept in the lower cabinet but got up and followed her to the kitchen none the less.

Once they were in the kitchen, Alex turned to Olivia, desperate.

"Please, Olivia. For the love of all that is good and holy, go back in there and tell them you were talking about your job."

"Why? If you told them anything about Elliot, they should know he would have never cheated on Kathy when they were together."

"Um... tonight at Dinner, I kind of... you know, maybe have told a teensy, little, minuscule lie about him."

"What lie?"

Alex looked down at the ground, and Olivias eyes widened to almost frightening proportions.

Alex," Olivia said, realization dawning on her. "What did you tell your parents about Elliot and me?

Alex shrugged, slightly hyperventilating. "Just that... that you and Elliot were dating."

"Alex!"

"I'm sorry! But tonight at dinner, she started asking about you, and your love life, and I couldn't say you were single."

"Why not?" she growled, taking a step towards her, making Alex back up some, stammering.

Be- be- because, you're over forty, and living with a roommate."

"You mean my girlfriend, but please go on," she snapped, crossing her arms.

"Well it was either I lied and my mother stops looking down her nose at you that much more, or say you're single and living with a roommate and have her frown on you that much more! I was doing you a favor!"

"Oh god, Alex," Olivia groaned, sinking down the cabinet, "I can't believe you."

Olivia let out a humorless chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's why she was encouraging Eliot to get back with Kathy. She just wanted to make my life miserable by having him leave me. God, what did I do to that woman to make her hate me like this?"

Alex sank down next to her and nudged her softly. "I'm sorry. I swear I'll tell them the truth soon, but right now I'm doing the best I can."

Olivia sighed before Alex leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, resting her head on her shoulder. "I love you."

Olivia looked up at her, and Alex gave her a huge smile and Olivia laughed before she reached over and kissed her on the lips.

"And I... can not believe why I put up with you."

"Because you love me, and you think I'm the most beautiful thing you ever laid eyes on."

"Good point."

They both chuckled before Alex reached besides her and opened the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine while Olivia stood up and got out four wine glasses.

"Lets go," Alex said with a sigh standing up as the two walked out of the kitchen into the living room where both Max and Lila were sitting down.

"I realize there might have been some confusion when I was talking about me and Elliots partnership. We didn't start dating until after he got divorced. He never would have cheated on Kathy, or any other woman," she told them, the lie sounding way to comfortable to her.

Lila raised her eyebrow in a rather skeptical look, and Olivia cleared her throat before sitting down on the couch, quickly racking her brain for any thing to say that might change the subject.

"How was dinner?" Olivia asked as she picked up a container of fried rice.

"Very pleasant," Lila said with a smug smile. "We would have loved your company. Such a shame that you couldn't be there."

Olivia forced a smile as she took a deep breath.

"So how was your night, Olivia?" Max asked, desperate to maintain the peace,

"It was fine. I invited Elliot over, and we just watched a movie and ate some Chinese. Do you want some?"

"Yes thank you," Max said getting a pair of chop sticks from the coffee table also and aiming for the General Paos Chicken..

"Oh, Max, put that down! Who knows what kind of greasy poor people have handled that? Why I think I'm beginning to get clogged arteries from the mere sight of it!" Lila cried, cringing in disgust. Max put down the chop sticks then sat in an arm chair, looking longingly at the chicken.

"But back to what we were talking about earlier, about the Senators Nephew-"

"Mother, drop it, please!" Alex pleaded, as she passed out the wine glasses.

"What? All I said was that he was single and attractive. Plus he's a republican."

"No offense, but I don't think Alex would be interested in a Republican," Olivia said with a chuckle taking a sip of the wine.

"Oh that reminds me. What party do you belong too, Miss. Benson?"

"Who wants pie?" Alex's voice rang out, several octaves higher then normal. "Some nice, chocolate, Republican loving pie? I'm sure we got some in the kitchen! Olivia, why don't you help me look for it in the kitchen, and we can talk about how devastated you were when Obama was elected."

Olivia smiled as sweet as she could at Lila, ignoring her girlfriends obvious plea. "I'm a Democrat through and through."

For the first time in her life, Alexandra Rosalie Cabot thought that sobbing hysterically would have been the perfect thing to do.

"She's kidding! I mean, of course she's a Republican right, Liv?"

Olivia looked over at Alex who was pleading with her eyes for her to admit she was, that for the first time in her life, the thing she said she would never be.

Olivia shook her head before she returned her look to Lila, taking a deep breath and saying the one thing that she considered the foulest curse one could say. "She's right, I'm a Republican. I was just joking about being a Democrat."

Lila managed an encouraging smile before she turned back to Alex who was looking at Olivia, wondering what on earth she had done to get a woman that amazing.

"Now about the Senators nephew-"

"For the last time, I do not want to date him!" Alex cried, clearly exasperated.

"But your thirty seven years old, Alexandra! You're not exactly a spring chicken. In order to become a civilized member of society, women get married, have children..."

"Maybe she doesn't. I mean, there's nothing wrong with a women being independent," Olivia argued.

"Well I don't know what kind of slum you grew up in, but in civilized societies, women get married and have children, and be happier beyond anything that they did.."

"Who says she needs to get married to be happy? She can be perfectly happy not being married or having children, or maybe she doesn't have a man that's her type."

"Oh that's preposterous! She's rich and a lawyer. She may not be a beauty queen by far, but she is well off. And who said anything about a type?"

Alex looked down at the floor, and it took every once of strength Olivia had not to slap Lila silly.

"Lila, come on, does it really matter?" Max said with a shrug. "I mean, yes I would love grand children, but she should make her own choices in what ever she wants, and whatever makes her happy we should be happy with. Plus she's only thirty seven. She still has plenty of time to choose how and _who_ she wants to spend the rest of her life with," he said, looking over at Olivia.

Olivia's eyes widened and her lips parted in confusion before Max simply smiled at her and turned back to Lila who had missed the exchange.

Oh, Max, do shut up, you're giving me a headache."

Lila sighed before standing up

"Well I'm going to bed, we all have to get up early tomorrow, and hopeful we won't be a half hour late. Come, Max, off to bed. Pleasant dreams Alexandra."

Lila got up from the chair and made her way up the steps.

Max sighed then got off the chair he was in and went over to Alex.

"Good night, Alex," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek

"Night, dad."

"Good night, Olivia," he said with a small nod.

"Good night, Max," Olivia said, still evidently confused.

He looked longingly at the container of chicken once more before he too went upstairs.

Olivia and Alex looked after him for a moment before looking at each other.

"I think today went well don't you?" Alex said with a sigh.

"Oh yeah, terrific," Olivia answered with a yawn.

"I am so sorry about my mom, Liv. I can't believe she pulled that little stunt with the reservations, that's a new low for her."

Olivia shrugged

"it's fine, Alex. I'm sure the food there wasn't that good anyway."

Alex nodded in agreement before she yawned.

"You tired?"

Alex nodded once more, and Olivia smirked at her before she leaned in.

"Well, are you tired enough for this?" she whispered, kissing Alex hungrily.

Alex kissed her back eagerly, and pulled her in closer, gently tugging on Olivias shortened hair.

Olivias mouth moved from her lips, to her jaw line, to the hollow of her throat, gently suckling on it.

"Oh god, Liv," Alex whispered as Olivias hands reached behind her and slowly unzipped her dress.

Olivia slowly pulled the straps of the dress down, kissing Alex's bare shoulder, shivers running up and down Alex that had nothing to do with the poor heating in the apartment.

As Olivia laid her down on the couch, they kissed one another again, their hearts pounding on top of one another as Alex quickly un buttoned Olivias shirt and pulled it off of her.

Olivia slowly pulled her dress off, running a hand over Alex's perfect curves as she slowly flipped Alex over so she was on top.

"I love you," Alex groaned softly, closing her eyes, as Olivia kissed her once more, her fingers gently resting on her inner thigh.

Olivia leaned in gently biting her ear before she spoke.

"Too bad doing this with another woman goes against everything the Republican party stands for, and as a Republican, I just can't go against my parties wishes."

Alex's eyes shot open as Olivia leaned up and pulled her shirt back on, smirking at Alex.

"Olivia Benson, that is not fair!" she cried much louder then she intended, panting slightly.

Olivia shrugged as she stood up, smiling down at her angry lover.

"You got the couch. Good night, sweetie."

She leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before she walked away, leaving Alex in a slight daze.

Please Review.


	3. Chapter 3

I own no one but Lila and Max

A/N You'll be happy to know I actually have this story mapped out! Before this, I had no idea where I was going with this, but now I do. So Yay for that! I also have a goal. Get this story done and uploaded by Christmas.

December 21, 8:00 AM, Alex's brownstone

Alex silently made her way up the steps, a cup of coffee with two sugars in her hand, just the way Olivia liked it.

She walked into their bedroom, smiling at the sleeping form of her lover.

Alex walked over to her and put the coffee down on the side table, and sat down next to her, softly brushing the hair from her face, unable to keep her eyes off the beautiful detective.

Olivia groaned softly and rolled over in bed.

Alex felt the smile grow as she slowly climbed on top of her and leaned down next to her neck, gently blowing on it.

"If that's anyone besides Alex Cabot," she grumbled, her eyes still closed, "I have a gun under my pillow."

Alex laughed and got off of her, sitting beside her in the bed.

"Not very much for protecting yourself when you're tired, are you? What if I had been a burglar?"

"I'd send your mom in to meet him. That would be enough to scare anyone away," Olivia mumbled, opening her eyes and sitting up in the bed.

"Like anyone would rather choose to terrorize her over you."

Olivia chuckled before yawning and stretching, throwing the blanket off of her.

"I call the shower first," she muttered, as she got off the bed.

Olivia looked over at her, her eyes traveling over Alex's soft curves, dawning nothing but a red teddy. "Unless, of course, you want to join me?"

Alex reluctantly shook her head. "We can't this morning, babe. I have to go make breakfast, and my parents need to get ready as well."

Olivia groaned in frustration before she nodded and stood up, and Alex felt the same annoyance as she looked over Olivia's outfit. A white wife beater and a pair of boy shorts that showed off her amazingly long legs.

"See something you like, Cabot?" Olivia asked as she walked out of the room, smirking at the young ADA.

"You mean besides your beautiful ass?"

"You mean the ass that my loving, adoring boyfriend Elliot Stabler only gets to look at?" she said, raising her eye brows in mock confusion.

Alex frowned before she too got off of the bed and walked out of their room, grabbing her bathrobe and putting it on.

Alex walked down the stairs, when a terrifying thought occurred to her.

Olivia knew she and Elliot were supposed to pretend to be a couple. Elliot, however, had no idea he and Olivia were supposedly in head over heels in love. How the hell would those two be able to convince her parents they were a couple when one of them didn't even know they were?

Alex groaned before she walked into the kitchen, pouring herself another cup of coffee and sitting down at the table.

"Good morning, Alexandra," Lila greeted as she came down the steps, Max following.

"Morning," Alex said, getting up from her seat and going to the cupard where they kept the coffee mugs.

"Do you want some coffee?" she asked as she got down the mugs.

"Yes, but sit down, honey. I think I'm more then capable then getting my own coffee," Max said with a chuckle as he went over to the coffee maker and taking the cup form Alex.

"And I'll just have tea, dear," Lila said going over to the stove, grabbing the tea kettle before going over to the sink, and turning the hot water on.

Alex rushed over to her, trying to stop her before it was too late. "Mom, stop! Olivia's in the sho-"

All three went to a stand still as a loud scream sounded from upstairs, and Alex closed her eyes in defeat, waiting for the spew of curses she had experienced first hand when she accidently had started the dish washer when Olivia was in the shower.

"Turn off the god damn water!" Olivias scream carried down loud and clear. "Jesus Christ, Alex! It's hotter then hell in here! What the fu-"

"Sorry!" Alex shouted back, turning off the water, eying Lila apprehensively.

"Good gracious, Alexandra!" Lila cried, clutching a hand to her heart. "Does that woman have no morals, no shame? Taking the lords name in vein, and taking like a sailor!"

"Olivia isn't exactly the most religious woman in the world," Alex admitted. "And in her line of work, sometimes talking like... that, is necessary."

Lila shook her head as she sat down, waiting for Olivia to get out of the shower before she started the tea again. "Well I certainly hope you've never talked like that, Alexandra. It's a sad day when a young woman of your stature is caught saying such filth!"

"I'll talk to her," Alex promised, swallowing the fear that would come from this recent argument.

Lila nodded in appreciation before Alex took a deep breath, taking a sip of her coffee, already dreading this day.

Ten minutes later, they heard Olivia come down the steps.

She walked into the kitchen, her hair wrapped up in a towel, wearing her own bathrobe, still dripping. It seemed like she had wanted to waste no time in getting down the steps.

Alex slunk down in her seat as Olivia stormed over to the coffee maker, and stood with her back to it for several moments.

"Lila," she snapped, finally turning around, and Alex let out a small whimper of fear at the look of pure, unrelenting anger in her chocolate brown eyes. "Quick question. When you knocked on the bathroom door this morning, and I told you I was in the shower, and you said, 'okay'. Did you just forget on your walk down here, or were you trying to scorch my skin off?"

Alex's eyes widened as she looked between Lila, who looked completley and utterly in shock as she stood up, her light blue eyes wide and apologetic. "I promise you, Miss. Benson, I didn't mean to turn on the water, and I do apologize sincerely."

Lila's face broke out into a rather sweet, innocent smile that Olivia wanted to smack off.

"Sure you do," Olivia said dryly, sitting down in one of the chair.

"Besides in any case, you should have been done sooner. I mean, those gray hairs seem to fall out much faster then normal color, so you shouldn't have been so long, in any case."

Alex stood up in a flash, nearly knocking her chair over as she rushed over to Olivia, whose fists were clenched tight.

"Olivia, I need your help finding that green outfit I was going to wear today. Upstairs... away from the kitchen knives."

Olivia glowered down at Lila before she allowed Alex up the steps, her fists not unclenching.

Once in their bedroom, Olivia slammed the door shut, and began to pace.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Olivia growled, pacing, Alex watching apprehensibly. "Like that shrew has any right to talk about gray hair!"

Alex swallowed hard before walking up to her, swallowing hard.

"Um, Olivia."

"What?" she snapped, facing Alex, a look of pure malice in her eyes.

Alex took a step back ,swallowing her fear before continuing. "Um... m, my mother would appreciate it if you were to watch your language around her."

For the first time in her life, Olivia Magdalena Benson felt like hitting her girlfriend as hard as she could manage would have been the prefect solution to her problem.

"She what?"

Alex wrangled her hands, swallowing hard. "She, um... she isn't a fan of cursing all that much, and she would appreciate it if you didn't use curse words when she was in ear shot."

Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "You're kidding me right?"

Alex shook her head, slinking back slightly. "I'm sorry."

Olivia let out a screech of humorless laughter as she threw her hands up in the air. "Why not? After all, I'm lying about my sexual preference, who my girlfriend, oh excuse me, boyfriend is, my political party, why not change my personality as well! Hey, maybe I'll say screw you to my BA in criminal Justice, quit any job altogether and become a housewife like her!"

"Olivia, stop," Alex pleaded softly.

"Shit! Oh I'm sorry, shoot! I still got that blond wig in the closet that I had to use in that cabbie rapist case! Maybe I'll slap that back on and she'll start to like my outward appearance. You know, since I'm looking so old with gray hair and everything!"

"Will you calm the hell down!" Alex shouted, causing Olivia to momentarily stop her rant.

Alex took a deep breath before she went up to her, holding her hands in hers. "I'm sorry. I really am, Olivia. About everything she's said to you and everything she will. But it's eleven more days. Then after she leaves, we can get back on track."

"No," Olivia told her, her voice ice cold. "Before she leaves, you're telling her about us, about you, and you're going to correct every single lie I'm telling about myself for you! If you don't, then next time she visits, you won't have a girlfriend to lie about! "

Alex swallowed a retort and nodded, biting her bottom lip rather hard.

Olivia groaned in frustration, running a hand through her hair. "What's wrong?"

Alex shook her head, the tears falling down her face. "Nothing."

Olivia groaned softly before she went up and hugged her tight.

Alex wrapped her arms around her and buried her head into her shoulder, sobbing.

Olivia took a deep breath and began to stroke her hair, knowing she was going to say the thing she deserved to hear instead of say. "I'm sorry, Alex. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

Alex shook her head. "It's my fault. I shouldn't let her talk to you like that. I'm sorry, Olivia, I swear I am!"

"It's okay, it's okay," Olivia muttered into her hair. "We're gonna get through this, Alex, I promise."

Alex let out a chuckle and pulled away, wiping the tears away from her. "I'm the only woman on the face of the planet who when her mother visits, someone has to say 'we'll make it through this'."

Olivia chuckled as well before she wiped the tears away from Alex with the back of her hand before she leaned in and kissed her softly on her lips.

"I'll always love you," Olivia muttered, kissing her once more. "Even if you do have a shrew of a mother."

"Well that's good to know," Alex moaned softly, pressing up against her. "Because I'm never letting you go."

Olivia chuckled before she pulled away, and Alex leaned forward, itching for more contact.

"You need to get ready. We're supposed to meet the squad at the mall in two hours."

Alex's eyes widened with realization. "The squad! Elliot! Olivia, he doesn't know you two are supposed to be a couple! You need to call-"

"It's already taken care of," Olivia reassured her, and Alex was both pleased and worried as a smug smile grew on Olivias face. "You've no need to worry about me and Eliot pretending to be a couple today."

Alex swallowed hard and nodded. "Well that's good, I guess. Just promise to leave your shirt on this time."

"I'm not making any promises," she said with another smirk as she went over to the dresser and beginning to get dressed.

Alex looked over to her, swallowing her fear and panic before she got into the shower.

Half an hour later, Alex, her hair dried and dressed, made her way downstairs where she prayed Lila and Olivia had managed to not kill one another... or at least not leave too big a blood stain in her kitchen.

However, when she was close enough to hear the next words out of Lila's mouth, she was sure that Lila would not survive to see Christmas day.

"I'm just saying, Miss. Benson, I think it's wonderful a woman your age not to be afraid in the least to let her true age show. I mean, I myself would never be so bold to let all of my little blots, blemishes, and crows feet stand out, but if you feel comfortable then good for you."

"We should get on our way!" Alex cried out, rushing into the kitchen, hearing her girlfriend growl at her mother. "Mom, dad, why don't you get dressed and ready, and we'll leave, okay?"

Lila smiled up at Alex and nodded. "Of course, dear. Come, Max. I shudder to think of the traffic four days before Christmas!"

"I'll be right there, darling," he promised, looking over at Olivia, who was clutching her fork so tight, her knuckles were turning red.

Lila nodded before she left the kitchen, Olivia glaring after her.

Once out of ear shot, Max turned to Olivia, an sincerely sorry look on his face. "Olivia, please forgive Lila. I'm truly sorry for the way she's treating you."

"At least someone is," she muttered, glaring daggers at Alex who just looked down at the ground.

Max looked between Alex and Olivia before he stood up and cleared her throat.

"Alexandra, can I see you upstairs a moment? I want you to help me pick out a tie for today."

Alex swallowed her fear and nodded, following Max out of the kitchen, knowing the only time he used her full name was when he was angry at her about something.

They went upstairs, and Max opened Alex's bedroom door open for her before shutting it gently before turning to her.

"I'm surprised at you, Alexandra," he scolded softly, making sure Olivia couldn't hear him downstairs, although Alex knew Olivia had figured out what they were talking about. "Letting your mother talk to her like that."

"What can I do? You know just as well as I do what mom wants to say, she's gonna say, no matter who it hurts or who says to stop."

"She's your friend and room mate, Alexandra. You need to stand up for her, even if Lila doesn't listen. Do you really think that Olivia, who if she's anything like you've told us over the phone, is enjoying holding her tongue? Do you realize what a sacrifice she's making for you?"

Alex sighed and nodded, knowing he was right, not even able to imagine how hard this was for Olivia, holding her tongue in front of Lila.

"I know but-"

"I know it's hard, Alex," he told her, and Alex let out a small breath of relief when he used her nickname once more. "Standing up to your mother. Trust me, I've tried and failed for thirty nine years. But to someone like Olivia, getting knocked down a few pegs like Lila is trying to do and unable to defend herself is one of the worst things you could do to a woman like that. You keep this up, and she won't be your friend for much longer."

Alex nodded in agreement before Max gave her a tiny smile. "Just think about what I said, Alex. Now why don't you go downstairs and I'll get ready, okay?"

"Sure, dad... thanks."

"Anytime, honey."

He gave her a small kiss on the cheek before she left the room, her mind going over what her father had just said, knowing he was right, but also knowing to stand up to Lila was... impossible. She was Lilian Verona Rockwell-Cabot. You did not stand up to her. You bowed down to her, but you did not stand up to her.

Alex sighed as she entered the kitchen, to find Olivia examining herself up close in the reflective coffee pot, gently pulling the skin around her eyes tighter.

"You okay?" Alex asked softly, standing beside her.

Olivia said nothing and continued to examine her face, gently pulling the skin tighter.

Alex wrapped her arms around her, and Olivia pretended not to notices the blonds embrace.

"After we go shopping," Olivia told her, not turning around to meet her eyes. "I'm making an appointment for botox."

"You're perfect," Alex whispered, kissing her neck. "Every single thing about you. Don't change because of what she said to you."

Olivia ran a hand through her hair, closely examining it in the pot.

"She's right, you know. Last month I found two grays."

"So what?"

Olivia let out a humorless chuckle before turning around, a sad smile on her face. "I'm almost fifty. You just turned thirty seven two weeks ago."

"You're not even forty five yet."

"Next month I will be. I'm too old for you, Alex."

Alex shook her head, "you're wrong."

"No I'm not. You're beautiful, young, perfect... You don't need a middle aged-"

"You're not middle aged!" Alex shouted, a little louder then she had intended. "And you are a thousand times more beautiful then I could ever hope to be!"

Alex reached up and kissed her hungrily, her hands slowly moving down the curves of her body.

Olivia simply stood there, not moving.

Alex pulled away before looking up at her, moving the hair away from her face.

"Any woman who can make me feel the way you do, who can turn me on with the smallest touch, who can make me scream her name for hours on end, has nothing to worry about when it comes to age. I don't care if you're eight years older, or a hundred. I love you, Olivia. No matter what amount of what wrinkles you think you have, or what color your hair is, or what age you are. Don't let her get to you, Alex. I promise you that you are the perfect woman for me, no matter what Lila says. Do you understand me? And besides," she said with a playful smirk. "Older women have much more experience."

Olivia chuckled before she leaned in to kiss her before they heard foot steps descend on the steps.

Alex, with an annoyed sigh, pulled herself away from Olivia as Lila walked into the kitchen, dressed in a light green blouse made of some kind of silky material and a pair of white pants, smoothing out her light blond locks, .

Lila looked over at Olivia and withheld a grimace. "Oh my, Miss. Benson... if you need a little money, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to look like you just came form the soup kitchen. I'm very generous towards the less fortunate in this city."

Alex swallowed hard before she stood up from her seat, trying to withstand her shaking.

"Um, mother."

"Yes, Alexandra, what is it?"

Alex shallowed hard, looking down at Olivia who looked almost shocked and amazed that Alex was going to say something.

"I um.. I just wanted to say.. uh."

"Come, Alexandra, spit it out."

"I um... I like your outfit," she muttered, sitting back in the chair, unable to look over at Olivia.

Lila smiled at Alex and smoothed out the outfit. "Thank you, Alexandra. At least someone in this house has some sense of fashion," she muttered, loud enough for both women to hear.

Olivia glowered at her before standing up, thinking of the biggest insult she could manage.

"You know I saw Michelle Obama wear that exact same outfit on TV last week."

Lila's eyes widened to almost unbelievable proportions, looking down at the outfit in absolute and complete disbelief.

"I, I'll be right back. I just remembered it's after Labor day, and I shudder to think what civilized society would think if they saw me wearing white."

Lila all but ran from the kitchen and Olivia let out a triumphant chuckle.

Alex narrowed her head in confusion. "When did you see that? I never saw her wear anything remotely close to that."

Olivia turned to her, a large smirk on her face. "Neither have I."

A hour and a half later, Lila changed in a completely different outfit and her old outfit threw in the trash, having said that the outfit was so outdated and unfashionable, you would have to have been an idiot to even consider wearing it now, Alex pulled into the mall parking lot, and Alex groaned at the large, massive cars.

"I'm never gonna find a spot," Alex groaned softly, beginning to look around for a parking spot.

"That's the holidays for you," Max chuckled.

"Oh relax," Olivia told her. "Someone's bound to leave soon. And if anything, we can just park on the side of the street and walk."

"Are you mad, Miss. Benson? Park on the street!" Lila cried, clutching her heart, as if she had just been told they were going to park their car in a war zone. "Do you want the car stolen?"

Alex ignored the bickering and continued to look around the parking lot.

"If we take the keys and a tire, it'll be fine," Olivia assured her, having done the same thing multiple times.

"Are you going to walk around with a tire on your back because I an certainly not going to!"

"We leave it with security and they lock it up."

"And you trust mall cops with something that important?"

"Yes," Olivia snapped, and Alex withheld a groan, knowing that being a mall cop was what got Olivia through college.

"Believe it or not, mall cops are good, hard working people, and most go on to other law enforcement agencies."

"Please," Lila scoffed, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "Good lord, Miss. Benson, mall cops are nothing but over weight, middle aged slumps who can't pass the physical on the police examination. They don't even carry a gun."

"You don't need a gun to kick Someone's ass, Lila. I'll be more then happy to demonstrate," Olivia growled.

"Again with the cursing! Do you have no shame? In my day, even the people with limited means watched their mouths in front of their superiors.

"Superiors!"

"Found a spot!" Alex all but screamed, squealing the cars tires as she pulled into a spot in the middle of the parking lot.

Lila and Olivia continued to glower at one another before Alex cleared her throat loudly.

"I need to stretch my legs. What do you say we get out of the car, huh? Come on, lets go," she said, looking between the two, a cold sweat breaking out.

But it seemed neither woman would be the first to break the glance.

"Come on, Lila, lets go," Max prodded. "We were invited, and imagine how rude it would be if we were later then we already are."

Lila reluctantly turned away from Olivia to Max before she let out a loud, uncontent sigh.

"I suppose you're right. Lets go, Max."

Lila exited the car, followed by Max, leaving Olivia and Alex in the car alone once more.

"Olivia-" Alex began, but Olivia turned and glowered at her so furiously, Alex let out a whimper of fear and all but flattened herself up next to her door.

"Don't say a word," Olivia growled, getting out of the car, slamming the door shut.

Alex let out a shaky breath before she too got out of the car, being sure to obey Olivias latest command.

When they got to the door, the bell ringer right outside, Lila turned to Olivia, smiling sweetley at her, pulling a handful of change out of her pocket.

"Tell me, Miss. Benson, do you want me to put the change in the kettle, or would you prefer I hand it to you directly?"

"I can tell you exactly where to stick that change," Olivia said, just as sweet.

Alex let out a groan, and Max gently rubbed her shoulders, smiling sadly at her.

Once inside, they rid themselves of their hats and gloves, and Olivia quickly spotted Elliot sitting down one of the benches, looking thoughally bored.

"There's Elliot," Olivia pointed out, a large grin on her face, nodding over to him. "Elliot!" she yelled, although it barley made a dent over the loud clattering in the entente.

Elliot looked over and when he spotted the group, a happy smile appeared on his face as well.

He got up from the bench and made his way over to them.

"Hey, baby," Elliot greeted Olivia before taking her in his arms and kissing her lavishly on the mouth, dipping her low, Olivia wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back just as eagerly.

Alex looked on in pure, unrelenting shock.

They released the kiss, and Elliot steadied Olivia on her feet.

"There's my big sexy man," Olivia purred, slapping him hard on the ass, grinning wildly at him.

"Ooh, don't get frisky on me, babe. We are in a public place, remember."

He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her closer, ignoring the looks he was getting from Max and Lila.

"You ready to go shopping, hon?" Olivia asked, looking up at him.

"I'm willing to do anything to you," Elliot growled in her ear, loud enough so Lila and Max could hear them, and Olivia giggled a most un-Oliviaish giggle as he nuzzled her neck, gently nipping at it.

Alex hated it with a passion.

She knew Olivia didn't mind it, that those two felt nothing but friendship towards one another, but it still didn't help ease the pain she felt when she saw Elliots hands wrapped around her, his head buried in her hair, and she leaned up against him just as comfortable.

"What do you say we get going?" Alex said, a little more snippy then intended.

Elliot nodded before turning to Olivia. "You want to get going, babe?"

"I always want to get going with you," Olivia answered before kissing him hungrily once more, and Alex felt her blood boil once more as Elliot kissed her back, running his hands through her hair.

"Alright, you guys, knock it off," Alex grumbled, and Olivia pulled away from Elliot to look at her, all hints of joking vanishing.

Lila cleared her throat and looked on in utter and complete disgust. "Well, now that that's over with, would you like to go shopping, or do you want a cigarette first?"

"We just gotta wait for Munch and Fin," Elliot informed them, and Alex noticed with narrowed eyes that he still had yet to unwrap his arm around her, and Olivia was still leaning up against him, "and then we'll be on our-"

"'Munch and Fin'?" Lila interrupted, "Good lord, Alexandra, what kind of people do work with?"

"It's John Munch and... and Odafin Tutuola," Alex said, trying her hardest not to blush.

Lila nodded, sharing a look with Max, and both Olivia and Elliot shared a look as well, both them and Alex praying to god that Fin would be wearing his work clothes.

It only took another few minutes of waiting in sheer and utter panic until they heard two familiar voices.

"Olivia, Elliot, over here!"

All five looked, and Alex let out a fresh breath at Fins outfit. A black baggy T-shirt and a pair of jeans. That wasn't so bad.

"Shall we?" Alex said, motioning to them, beginning to walk over to them.

"And how is our favorite couple?" Munch asked when they got near enough, and Alex's eyes widened and she felt tears come to her eyes before she noticed he was looking at Olivia and Elliot.

She let out a breath of air she had been holding before she too turned to Elliot and Olivia who was looking at one another with such love, it almost sickened her.

"Perfect," Elliot cooed, holding her closer.

"You two make such a good couple," Fin added, looking over at an annoyed looking Alex.

Alex cleared her throat, and both Munch and Fin turned from Elliot and Olivia to look at Lila and Max.

"Mom, dad; this is Sargent John Munch, and Detective Odafin Tutuola. Munch, Fin, this is my mother Lila Cabot, and my father Max Cabot," Alex introduced.

Max at once stuck out his hand, smiling at Fin. "Odafin, is it?"

"Call me Fin," Fin corrected, taking his hand and shaking it.

Lila looked at Fin and smiled a rather painful grin. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tutuola."

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cabot."

Lila smiled before she took his hand in hers, smiling that sweet little smile that both Olivia, Max, and Alex knew would be followed by a statement the complete opposite of sweet.

"I want you to know. Mr. Tutuola; that it's so nice to see people of your... background, shall we say, rise up and make something of themselves. I'll also have you know, that no one in the Rockwell or Cabot family has ever lived in the south."

"Oh Christ," Alex muttered, getting a glare Olivia. If she wasn't allowed to curse, then Alex was not allowed to either.

Fin raised his eyebrow in complete and utter surprise before he turned to Munch who at once approached Lila, holding his hand out for her.

"You must be the famous Lila Cabot I've heard so much about. If you ever need someone to pull that stick out of your ass, please, don't hesitate to give me a call."

"Lets go shopping!" Alex cried, holding her open mouthed mother by the shoulders, pulling her away from a very serious looking Munch. "I have so many places to go and see, and lots of things to buy! Lets get going... now! In fact, why don't we split up? Munch, Fin, Liv, El; you guys go one way, me and my parents will go another."

"I think that a very appropriate idea!" Lila snapped, glaring daggers at Munch. "Lets go, Alexandra!"

"Call us in about two hours, and we'll meet somewhere for lunch, okay?" Alex told them, also glowering at Munch, knowing she would hear about this until the day she died.

Alex and Lila took off, Max following, and Olivia could see him shake as he tried his hardest not to laugh at Munches comment.

The moment they were out of eye sight, Olivia quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, shuddering in disgust.

"Oh come on!" Elliot cried, feigning hurt once more. "I'm not that bad a kisser!"  
"Alex is a thousand times better," she muttered, puling a pack of gun from her purse and popped a piece in her mouth.

"Gee, I feel so sorry for you having to be around such a rude bitch like Lila all day. I would hate to know what that was like," Elliot mumbled, and Olivia stopped her momentarily chewing, realizing he was right.

"I'm sorry, El, really. But I've kissed the same woman for over a year now. You just taste... different. Not bad!" she assured him honestly, "just different. Plus you're way too ragged, and your hands are too rough."

Elliot chuckled before a smug grin spread over his face. "So what you're saying is I'm to much of a man for you?"

"Not at all," she said with a smug to match his own, "but Alex is soft, delicate, gentle... and I love that in a woman, more specifically I love that in Alex."

"Oh this is getting hot," Fin chuckled, ignoring the glare Olivia sent him.

"Grow up, Fin," she told him.

"I have to agree with Fin there, Benson," Munch added. "You and Alex are an amazingly hot couple. Just the sight of you two even kissing is... a rather enjoyable experience if I say so myself."

"Oh well next time she's at he station house, we're charging admission to watch us go at it in the interrogation room, please stop by and see it. After all I would hate to think that people in my unit actually respected our relationship" she said dryly.

"Oh come on, he was just kidding," Fin offered, ignoring the cold looks he was receiving from both Olivia and Elliot, who hated when people talked about Olivias and Alex relationship like that as much as Olivia did.

Olivia opened her mouth to argue back before her cell phone rang.

"No!" Olivia groaned, digging it out of her purse. "Cragen promised this day off would be just that, a day off."

She sighed as she pulled out her phone and looked at it in confusion a moment before she answered it.

"Hello," and the other three detectives looked at one another in confusion. She never answered her cell phone with 'hello.'

When her face broke out in a large smile, they became even more confused. "It's ready right now? Well that's great, I'm actually in the mall as we speak! I'll be over there in two minutes. Thank you very much!"

She hung up the phone, a large smile still plastered on her face before she turned to Elliot. "Come on! There's something I need to show you!"

She grabbed his hand and began to run off.

Elliot looked back over his shoulder to a very confused Munch and Fin. "Call her cell!" he yelled before turning his attention back to the mall.

"You wanna tell me where we're going?" he asked, and Olivia shook her head.

"You'll see in a second!"

They ran a bit more before Olivia suddenly halted in front of a large and expensive jewelry store, and Elliot let out a low whistle. "Wow. I thought they had to run a credit check on you just to get in the place!"

Olivia said nothing as she walked in, Elliot following her, his curiosity mounted to a peek.

Olivia approached the sales clerk who smiled brightly at her.

"Welcome to Kay Jewelers. May I help you today, Mam?"

"I just got a call saying my piece is ready to be picked up."

"Your name, Mam?"

"Olivia Benson."

"Of course. I'll be right back, Mam."

She smiled at Olivia before walking in the back room, and Elliot turned to her, a large smile on his face.

"You bought her jewelry? Wow, Olivia, that's really romantic. What is it? A necklace, bracelet, earing?"

Olivia shook her head, unable to tear the grin from her face. "No. It's much more special then that."

Elliot looked at her in confusion before his eyes widened in shock, and he had to take several steps back to assure that if he fainted, it would not be on the show case.

"Y, you don't mean... you didn't buy her-"

"Here you go!" the sales clerk voice rang out, walking back out, a tiny velvet black box in her hand. "And your credit checked out wonderfully, and on the first of the year is when we start taking two fifty out of your account for eight months, as per the agreement."

Olivia nodded, before taking the tiny black box in her hand, looking down at it, the grin growing even larger.

"Now, Miss. Benson, I must inform you that if you wish to pay a hundred and twenty five up front, you can get a one year insurance policy on it, and you can receive all your payment's made on the piece back."

Olivia shook her head. "She'll never return this. I know it."

The girl smiled at her once more, "well if that's it, then you enjoy the rest of your day, and have a very, very happy holidays, Miss. Benson, and good luck."

The girl walked away, leaving Elliot and Olivia in the middle of the store, Elliot looking completley in shock at his partner.

"Olivia... what's in the box?"

Olivia took a deep breath before turning to him and opened the tiny velvet box.

Elliot in took a sharp breath as he looked down at the beautiful ring. It had a small, delicate gold band, with a large, but not gawky, heart cut diamond in the middle, nested in between a brilliant blue sapphire and a brown gemstone Elliot did not know the name of.

"I was going to ask her Christmas eve," Olivia told him, looking down at the ring. "In front of the fire place, just before midnight. With flowers, music, the works. But that was before the arrival of Mrs. Bitchy McBitch. So I guess January third will be just as romantic."

Elliot shook his head, taking the ring out to examine it. "After meeting her parents, after knowing that Alex won't defend you in front of them, you want to ask her to get married?"

Olivia shrugged, taking the ring back and putting it back in the box. "I love her, Elliot. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and if that means dealing with Lila, then so be it."

"That's a very sweet gesture, Olivia. But There's just one problem. How is going to explained she's engaged to you when they don't even know she's gay?"

"She promised me she would tell them. And I know the moment I put this ring on her finger, she'll tell the truth about everything."

Elliot managed an encouraging smile before rubbing the small of her back. "I hope so, Liv. I know you've waited a long time, and trust me when I say that you deserve happiness."

Olivia grinned back at him before putting the ring box in her pocket.

"Well lets go. I still gotta get stuff for Munch, Fin, Warner, Huang, and Cragen."

Elliot frowned. "Excuse me. Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Don't worry, I already bought yours as well as your kids, ages ago."

"I meant Lila and Max."

Olivia let out a groan and Elliot looked at her in completley and utter surprise as she stomped her foot.

"Did you seriously just stomp your foot in anger? What are you, five?"

"I'm not getting her a gift! I'll get Max one, but not her!"

"You have too."

"No I do not! I 'm willing to bet my life she didn't get me one, so why on earth should I buy her one?"

"Because she's going to be your mother in law in a surprisingly short time. You need to start sucking up, otherwise she will make your life hell."

"Oh yeah, because if I don't get her a gift, she's going act peachy to me, is that right?"

Elliot shrugged. "It'll help. And think of it this way, she won't get you a gift, but you will, and you'll be the bigger and better woman."

Olivia cocked her head, looking thoughtful before she smiled. "That's a great idea! I'm going to get her such a great gift, the old bat won't know what'll hit her! Lets go!"

Grabbing his hand once more, the two left the jewelry shop, on the search for the most perfect gift for the most imperfect in law.

Please Review.


	4. Chapter 4

I own no one but my own people.

A/N Yeah that whole get it all uploaded by Christmas thing... sorry, not with internet access about once every two weeks. But I can give you a new update on this as a nice little Christmas gift from me to you.

"Olivia, I refuse to let you buy that for her!"

"Elliot, she'll love it! It's a gift that's not only stylish, but fits her personality exceedingly well."

"Olivia, put that down, or I'm putting in a partner transfer!"

With a sigh, Olivia put down the tall, pointed black hat she had come across in "Lids" and walked out, huffing angrily, Elliot following.

"If I had told her Sarah Palin wore it, she would wear it in a heart beat and be exceedingly grateful," she grumbled, sitting down in a near by bench, setting her bags down beside her.

Elliot followed, setting his own numerous bags on the marble floor before turning to her.

Olivia sighed, running a hand through her hair before placing her head in her hands. "I'm never gonna find her a gift. It's impossible! We've looked everywhere!"

"Olivia, come on," Elliot told her, gently rubbing her shoulders. "You're making this so much more difficult then it has to be. What do you think she needs?"

"A tombstone?"

"Olivia!"

"Well I don't know!" she snapped, glaring furiously at him. "I know nothing about this woman besides she's rich, and was in the national dog show and took second place! How the hell am I supposed to get her a gift?"

"Okay, there's something," Elliot offered. "She likes dogs. Why not get her one of those crystal dogs? You can even get her a boxer like Fluffy."

"Do you know how much those cost? Sorry, but the ring is the only thing I can afford to put on credit."

Olivia sighed once more, the situation looking much more hopeless by the second.

"How about jewelry? That's always the logical choice for any woman. Nothing big or extravagant, but a nice little one hundred dollar necklace."

"Yeah. And the moment she opens it up, I can just hear it now. 'Oh my, thank you Miss. Benson. I'm sure this will look amazing as a trash lid lifter'," Olivia said, her voice uncannily resembling Lila's. "I don't understand why I have to get anything for her. She's gonna hate it no matter what it is."

"She will not," Elliot said, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sure she'll love it," he muttered, once again unable to even look at her for fear of giving away the lie.

Olivia glowered at him before she stood up, taking her bags in her hands.

"Come on. We promised to meet them for lunch," she grumbled before she perked up.

"Hey! What do you think about-"

"No gift cards to McDonald," Elliot interrupted, getting up from his seat as well.

Olivia groaned, another idea having been shot down just as quick as the pointed hat before that, the jelly of the month year long subscription before that, and a huge chocolate Hershey kiss that Elliot had suspected was more for the giver then the receiver.

They walked to the food court in silence, Olivia trying desperately to think of a gift that Lila would like before they saw Munch and Fin sitting at one of the tables, a pile of bags surrounding their table, a large thing of cheese fries between them.

They walked over to them and without so much as a hello, Olivia slunk down in the chair opposite Fin, letting her bags droop to the floor, not even caring if Munch and Fin saw the contents inside them, a large pronounced frown on her face.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Fin muttered, looking to Elliot for an explanation.

"Shut up," she mumbled, slowly siding down in her seat even more.

"We're having a little Christmas gift crisis," Elliot informed them, taking his own seat across Munch.

Munch nodded in what appeared to be understanding. "Ahh yes. I understand completley, Olivia. If you must know, I like red heads, tall but not taller then me, and not to big a hole because then it just doesn't feel as real. Also-"

"For the last time, no one is going to get you a blow up sex doll! It's just wrong!" Fin snapped before turning his attention to Olivia, who was unable to hide her smile.

Olivia sighed before sitting up in her seat. "I can not for the life of me find a gift for Lila. I mean what do you get a person you completley loathe?"

"I have this problem with Munch every year," Fin told her with a supportive nod, ignoring his partners cold glare. "Just do what I do. Ask her right out, 'I'm spending X amount of money, what do you want from me?' Save you a whole lot of panicking and worrying."

Olivia nodded before she saw Alex and her parents walking towards them, several bags in their hands, Alex looking like she was looking at any means to escape Lila's chattering.

Noticing they were walking closer, Olivia leaned up against Elliot, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Olivia smiled as big as she could as she struggled to look like she was enjoying being embraced by someone with such strong muscles and not a hint of softness, trying her hardest to ignore Elliots cologne and instead imagined it was Alex's expensive perfume she was inhaling.

Making sure Lila and Max were looking at them, she looked up at Eliot and pulled his head towards her, kissing him full on the lips, running a hand over her cheek, wanting nothing more then to pull back from the scratchiness of his five a clock shadow.

"Having fun?" Alex asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice as she approached the table, Lila and Max following, Lila glaring such daggers at Munch, it was an amazement he didn't drop dead at the table.

Olivia pulled away, still looking up at Elliot, smiling. "I always have fun when I'm with my man."

Elliot chuckled and leaned down and gave her another quick kiss on the lips before looking over at Alex, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Alex, you okay?" he asked, seeing her glare daggers at the two of them as the three sat down on the other four person table Munch and Fin had dragged over and placed beside theirs.

"I'm fine," she growled, turning away from the two of them.

Alex closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath before letting it out again. She repeated it twice before she re opened her eyes, forcing a smile on her lips.

"So how was shopping?" Alex asked, unable to look at the still embracing Elliot and Olivia.

"Fine, got most of what I needed done," Fin answered quickly before anyone could say a word. "How about you, Olivia? You got everything you need?"

Olivia took a deep breath before turning to Lila. "Actually no. Lila, I was wondering-"

"Oh there he is!" Lila interrupted joyfully, clapping her hands together before waving at someone in the massive crowd.

"Edward!" she cried, and the others looked at one another in confusion before looking into the crowd, trying to figure out who she was calling to. "Edward Lancaster, over here!"

The moment he turned to look at who had called his name, they all knew at once who Lila had shouted to.

A man, no older then thirty five smiled a huge, beaming smile, full of the whitest, most perfect teeth any had ever seen. His face nearly flawless with a strong chin and a small dimple in it, his brown hair laid perfectly shaped and styled on top of his head, wearing a suit that knew had to cost at least nine hundred at the least, his leather shoes just as much, his light blue eyes completing the look of sheer perfection.

As he got nearer the table, Lila stood up and the smile grew even larger.

"Edward! How marvelous to see you again!" Lila cried happily, taking his hands and kissing both of his cheeks.

"Wonderful to see you too, Lilian, darling!" he said, kissing her back in the same manner.

When he spoke, Olivia noticed that his dazzling smile never once was hid.

"Sit down, Darling, sit down!" Lila told him before sitting down herself, leaving just one open spot; right beside Alex.

"Everyone, this is Edward Lancaster, an old friend of mines son," she explained. "Edward, this is Elliot Stabler, Odafin Tutuola, Olivia Benson, and my husband Max. Edward lives in Manhattan as well," she said, uncaring that she had skipped over both Munch and Alex.

"Pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure," he said with a small bow as he sat down beside Alex.

Lila's smile grew larger as she motioned over to Alex. "And this, is my daughter Alexandra."

"Nice to meet you," Alex said, sticking out her hand for him to shake it.

Edward grabbed it, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it softly.

Olivia hated him with a passion.

He grinned at her once more, although his brilliant teeth were much less pronounced this time. "Forgive me for being so bold, Alexandra, but I must say, your mother did your beauty no justice what so ever over the phone."

Alex blushed and looked down at the table, a shy smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mr. Lancaster."

"Please," he said, his voice lowering some as he leaned closer to her. "Call me Edward."

A small snap caused both Edward and Alex to look up and saw that Olivia held one half of a plastic fork, while the other one laid on the table, narrowing her eyes at the two.

"So, Edward, why don't you tell me more about what you were telling me about last night? About the senator calling you for advice? Lila said, uncaring of Olivias action.

Edward turned from Alex to the rest of the group, a large cocky smile on his handsome, seemingly perfect face. "Well, after being top of my class in Harvard in political science, I have lots of political heads call me up for advice, you know. And last night, the Governor of Virginia, I'm on great terms for him, by the way, we played golf a few times a month, actually calls me up and asks my opinion on a law that their thinking of passing! Of course, I couldn't just let the old man suffer, and I just had to give him my insight."

Olivia didn't listen to a word he had said, and instead looked at his hand that seemed to be moving closer and closer to the back of Alex's chair.

"So you're a politician?" Alex asked leaning in closer, seeing Olivias glare out of the corner of her eyes, unable to hide a smirk.

If Olivia could play that game with Elliot, then maybe she would know how it felt when Alex did the same to this man.

Edward nodded. "Well Senior DA for the DEA at the moment, but soon to be judge, the Governor, then president."

"Don't you think that's a little too unrealistic?" Olivia asked, not even attempting to hide the poison in her words.

"I don't think so at all," Alex said, her voice laced with a hint of seduction. "I find it fascinating, to be honest."

Edward chuckled, and Olivia growled slightly as Edwards eyes casually looked over Alex's body, the body only Olivia got to look at.

"Lets keep our eyes on the faces, okay?" Olivia snapped, glowering at the two.

Alex ignored her and instead leaned in closer to Edward, a flirty smile on her lips, one recently only used for Olivia.

"I don't mind it one bit," she lied, feeling the hair on the back of her neck prickle while Edward leered at her.

Max cleared his throat loudly, making Edward turn away from Alex, ignoring Maxs'''' hate filled glare.

Edward smiled his large, overly perfect smile at her once more before putting his arm around Alex's shoulders, and it pained Olivia to see Alex slightly cringe, but did nothing to throw him off.

"I have a grand idea," Lila said, smiling at Edward and Alex, seemingly ignoring the exchange across the table from both Olivia and Max .

"How about you two go off and say, do a little shopping, get to know one another a little better?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Lila," Olivia said, getting a much approved nod from Max. "Alex, why don't you hang out with me and Elliot the rest of the day? You can bring your parents too," she added, making sure Alex knew the lengths Olivia would go through so that Alex would not have to spend time alone with this guy.

"I like that idea," Max said with a nod. "And I'm sure Mr. Lancaster has better things to do then hang around the mall with a girl he hardly knows."

"On the contrary," Edward said, flashing what he believed to be a flirty smile at Alex. "I would love nothing more then get to know this beautiful, beautiful woman."

Alex blushed and looked down at the floor and Edward stood up, his hand out to her.

"Shall we, Alexandra?"

"It's Alex," Olivia grumbled loudly, but it went ignored by both parties.

Alex looked up from the floor and nodded, taking his hand. "We shall."

Alex stood up, casting a rather smug look at Olivia before the two began walking away.

"Wow," Elliot breathed, looking at a completley stunned Olivia.

"Liv, you okay?"

All Olivia could do was nod at fear of shedding tears, unable to turn away from Alex.

"Well, Max," Lila said, seeming to ignore Olivia's sadness. "I say we get back to shopping. There's no way on earth I'd be able to eat the food at this horrid place. I can smell the indigestion. Lets go, darling."

Max nodded before he got up from the chair and walked over to Olivia, leaning closer to her, speaking so low only she could hear him.

"He's not her type."

Olivia managed to tear her eyes away from the spot she had ben looking at to look at him, completley and utterly bemused.

Max gave a curt nod before following Lila, leaving the detectives alone once more.

"Damn, Liv," Fin chortled. "Your girlfriend is cold."

Olivia turned to glare at Fin who cowered slightly under her gaze.

"I can be colder," she snapped before she got up from her chair and stormed away, leaving her bags with the group.

Olivia walked fast, not caring who turned and stared at her, but knowing that she had to get to Alex.

Luckily, she spotted the two of them inside a clothing shop, their backs turned to them, and Olivia was outraged to see Edwards hand on the small of her back, inching closer to her ass.

"Hey!" Olivia shouted out, storming up to them as they turned around to face her, Alex letting out a breath of relief when she saw her, pulling out of Edwards touch.

"Get your hands off her or you're gonna be spending Christmas a falsetto!"

One look at Olivia's face told Edward that him that she was not joking in any manner what so ever.

He hastily moved away from Alex as Olivia came up to them, glaring furiously at him.

"Who the hell do you think you are grabbing her like that?"

"I didn't touch her in any inappropriate way."

"No, having your hand an inch away from her ass is what exactly?"

"Really, Miss. Benson, must you use the English language in such a crude manner? I mean I know you are highly uneducated when compared to me and Alexandra but-"

"Listen, you worthless, spineless, incompetent low life piece of shit! I may have to take that crap from Lila, but I sure as HELL will not take it from you. One more word like that, and I will arrest you for verbal assault."

Edward narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Alex. "Come, Alexandra. I suddenly feel much too high class for this place."

He reached down and took her by the hand, only to have his hand jerked away from Alex's.

"I told you not to touch her!" Olivia snarled. tightening her grasp on Edwards wrist.

Edward wrenched out of her grasp. "Let go of me, you pathetic ingrate! You're breaking my wrist!"

"Touch her again, and that will be the last of your problems."

Edward narrowed his eyes at her, his fists balling. "Do not threaten me, you little bitch."

A smug smile lit up Olivias face as she crossed her arms in front of her. "I just did."

Edward took a step, leaving no space between the two bodies.

Alex forced herself in between them, more concerned of Olivia getting arrested for giving Edward a special type of surgery for Christmas then Olivia being intimidated.

"Olivia, why don't you just calm down, okay?" Alex pleaded, pushing her away from Edward, desperate to get the two away from one another.

Olivia turned her glare from Edward to Alex. "You're telling me to calm down after that guy just treated you like that? Alex, you're my-"

"Room mate and best friend," Alex interrupted, a look of pleading on her face, "yes I know. But this isn't the time or the place for that."

"No, instead I should just sit back and watch some guy grope you in public! Alex, you're pathetic if you think that you should have to put up for this for your mother!"

Alex narrowed her eyes at Olivia, stepping away from her, evidently hurt. "No, instead why don't I watch you make out with Elliot in the middle of the mall every three seconds!"

Olivia opened her mouth to argue back when Alex turned back to Edward who had a smug grin on his face that Olivia wanted to slap off.

Alex grabbed Edwards hand and turned back to Olivia, nasty sneer on her otherwise beautiful face. "Let's go, Edward. Olivia, please, get back with Elliot. I would hate for you two to stay away from one another for long."

They began to walk away, Olivia looking after them, desperately trying to hide her tears.

Several hours and a very, very uncomfortable car ride later, Alex pulled into the drive way, avoiding the eyes of her lover.

Olivia had made sure to avoid all forms of contact with Alex, including the numerous phone calls she had gotten from her at one point.

When it was time to leave the mall, Olivia, pissed that all of her and Elliots bags would not fit in the same trunk, was forced to go home with Alex, who had avoided speaking to Olivia the entire way home, much to Lila's delight.

The moment the car had stopped Olivia slammed the door open and shut and went inside the house, slamming that door open and closed as well, wanting nothing more then throw the tiny black box in her coat pocket away.

"I think she's mad," Lila said, a hint of joy in her voice that she could not be bothered to mask.

Alex said nothing to her mother and instead popped the trunk and got out of the car, trying to shove the earlier events from today out of her mind, hating that she had treated Olivia like that, allowed some stranger to talk to her like that.

But at the same time, she could not force the image of Elliot and Olivia touching and kissing out either. It was like a scene in a horror movie that kept on playing rewind, each time more horrendous in her eyes.

Max followed lex to the trunk, gathering his and Lila's bags in his arms.

"Talk to her, Alex," he whispered to her so that Lila didn't over hear him. "She deserves it."

"Dad, just leave me alone," Alex grumbled, taking the last of her bags and storming off towards the house.

Alex, ignoring the sounds coming from the kitchen, headed right up the stairs and into the attic, putting the gifts down a little more harsher then need be.

She went back downstairs and into the kitchen, letting out a sound of disbelief as she looked at Olivia.

"Oh that's nice," she said dryly, seeing Olivia take a big swig of brandy straight from the bottle. "Get drunk while my parents are here during the holidays, when you have court tomorrow."

Olivia glowered at her, slamming the bottle down on the counter. "I'm not getting drunk, Alex. I'm just having a drink. Is that a crime now? Maybe you should call up Eddy and ask him. He is after all, gonna become the next president of the United States, so he would know."

"Or maybe we should call up Elliot. That is if he can pull his tongue out of your throat long enough to answer when he gets here."

Olivia glared at Alex. "Do you think I actually enjoyed that?"

"Judging by the fact you two were practically having sex in the mall, yeah I'd say you were!"

Olivia shook her head in absolute disbelief before she looked back over at Alex. "I can not believe you. You tell your parents that we're dating because you're too much of a coward to tell them that we're dating, then get pissed when we act like we're dating! You dug that grave, now you get to lie it in, Alex!"

"Keep your god damn voice down!" Alex yelled louder then Olivia, looking behind her to see if her parents had come in from feeding Fluffy yet, thankful they hadn't. "And just because I said that doesn't mean you had to make out every time we saw you together!"

"Yet you got to flirt, and giggle, and act like an idiot when little Eddy was around!" Olivia snapped, the thought of Edwards hands on Alex causing her to shudder in disgust.

Alex threw up her hands in disbelief. "Well if you were allowed to, then why can't I flirt with other guys?"

"Because I had to!" Olivia screamed, and Alex retreated several steps back. "Okay, Alex, I did that all for you! I kissed Elliot, my best friend and partner, for you! Because you're too much a coward to tell your parents you're a lesbian!"

"Will you just shut the hell up about that! So what if I don't want to announce it to the world that I'm gay! So what if I don't want a huge sign on my back that says that I like women! Does that make me a horrible person?"

"No," Olivia said coldly. "Just a pathetic coward."

Alex let out a screech of disbelieved laughter. "Because I don't want the world that I'm gay, I'm pathetic? Well sorry, Lesbo McButch, but I guess I'm not as obvious as you!"

Olivia looked at her in confusion mixed with anger. "I'm not obvious, Alex, but you're right. I'm not ashamed or scared to admit what I am, I'm not afraid to introduce you as my girlfriend as opposed to, 'my good friend', I'm not afraid to hold your hand in public when we walk down the street or when we go to dinner, I don't go 'oh me and my friend will just order now even though my date isn't here yet'."

"You... you're completley missing the point!"

Alex sighed before rubbing her hands on her temple and beginning to walk out of the room.

"Oh that's good! Just walk away during an argument! That's a hell of a way to keep a relationship going!"

Alex turned back to her, anger flashing in her blue eyes. "I'm walking away because I'm going to bed because I have court tomorrow, as do you! I'm sorry if I want to get some sleep!"

Alex began to walk away again before she turned around once more. "And for your information, Olivia, I am not afraid in any sense what so ever to announce what I am in public, so screw you!"

With a final glare from both women, Alex walked away, Olivia staring after her, her eyes narrowed in anger as she grabbed the bottle of scotch from the counter and took a long sip once more.

"We'll see, Alex... we'll see."

Please Review and happy holidays to all!


	5. Chapter 5

I own no one

A/N Soooooooooooooooo sorry for the long update. My internet connection shut down for good and I now have to wait for times when the library is open and when I have a day off to update, not to mention I'm starting college on the 26th, so that's taking up a lot of time and energy.

Anyway, enough about my problems. Hope you enjoy the update.

Contains strong language towards the end.

December 22, 12:30 AM, NY State Court Room.

Olivia had no right to be angry with Alex, no right at all. She had done just as worse with Elliot then Alex had done with Edward. She had kissed him, she had touched him, she had-

"Alexandra, are you alright?"

Alex forced herself to focus on what was going on in front of her. She didn't hear the bailiff shout for them to stand up, didn't even pay attention to Judge Petrowsky as she called for Alex's attention.

With a start, Alex looked around, and noticed she was the only one sitting down with all eyes, including the judges, on her, she quickly stood up.

"I apologize, your honor," Alex mumbled, her mind far away from the court room at the moment.

Olivia had ignored Alex the rest of that night, and even slept on the couch that night so that she wouldn't have to even talk to Alex about her getting the bed or couch.

And not by any chance did it seem like Olivia would break that cycle anytime soon, which Alex did not find fair in any sense of the word.

Alex knew she was in the right. Olivia had not only flirted with Elliot, but she had kissed him! She had grabbed him, embraced him, allowed herself to be embraced by her partner and best friend . Why was it fair that Olivia got to act like that around her? Even if Alex had told her parents they were dating. A simple hand hold, maybe a little peck on the cheek would have sufficed, but not to the extent they had gone to, his tongue down her throat, holding her as close as he could against him, inhaling her sweet smell, running his hands through her soft brown hair... It made Alex cringe in disgust just at the mere memory of it, what right did Olivia have to get mad over her flirting with Edward?

So what was an innocent touch on the back or an arm around the soldiers? Who cared if he had looked her up and down? She and Elliot had done a lot worse that day, and Olivia had no right to become upset at Alex, and she certainly had no right to give her the silent treatment.

"We're dismissing, one hour for lunch," Petrowsky told her, unsure if she had been paying attention to her earlier, a look of concern on her face.

Alex forced a fake smile on her face, knowing it didn't cover up the fatigue.

"Thank you, your honor."

Petrowsky looked at her for a moment more, and Alex wished she would just leave her alone.

"See me in my chambers, Miss. Cabot."

Alex withheld a groan and nodded.  
"Right away, your honor."

As the rest filed out of the courtroom, Alex turned around, her eyes instantly landing on Olivia, who turned away from her to look at the man sitting next to her.

"Lets go, Elliot."

Olivia stood up in a hurry and all but ran from the room, not even a glance backwards.

Elliot looked from Alex to the retreating form of Olivia, the tiny voice in his head telling him to stay and comfort Alex.

He said screw that to the tiny voice, gave a supportive smile to Alex and walked after Olivia.

Alex bit her bottom lip to keep from falling, and made her way to Petrowsky's chambers.

She knocked once on the door.

"Come in," Petrowsky called out.

Alex took a deep breath, wiped her face with her sleeve, and walked in.

"You wanted to see me, your honor?" Alex asked, almost cringing at the voice she had used; stuffy and full of tears.

Petrowsky raised one eyebrow and motioned to the chair in front of her large desk.

"This isn't a formal, matter," Petrowsky assured Alex with a rare smile. "This is simply a chat between two friends."

Alex nodded and took a rather shaky breath, even more tears spilling down her face.

"You look like hell, you've been crying, and you were distracted during the entire trial. What's wrong, Alexandra?"

Alex wiped the ears away from her face, not caring that her mentor was seeing her in this state. "It's nothing, your honor, I'll be fine. It's just been a bit rough these last few days. Stress, the holidays, family... just the usual stuff."

"Don't lie to me. I've never seen you so stressed out that you've almost started crying in court, with Trevor Langan serving as defense attorney as well."

"I wasn't crying, and I'm not lying about anything," Alex lied, her anger shining through a smudge. "I'm just stressed, your honor, that's it. Nothing is wrong with me."

Petrowsky nodded, not believing her one bit, switching to a different tactic to get her favorite lawyer to talk to her. "Are you having drug problems, Alexandra?"

"What? No!"

"Alcohol?"

"No."

"Sickness?"

"No."

"Guy trouble?"

After a long pause, Petrowsky allowed herself a tiny smile, knowing she hit the nail on the blond head. "Alexandra, I've been around almost sixty years, I've heard it all. Tell me what's on your mind."

Alex sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, trying to get rid of the oncoming headache, deciding that it would be lot less of a headache to just tell then to lie. "My boyfriend is meeting my parents for the first time and my mother hates every single thing about him. She doesn't even know we're dating, she thinks we're just roommates. I've had to lie about everything that makes him who he is, and tell my parents he's dating someone from his work, and now I'm kicking myself for even suggesting that because every time my mother sees them, they start making out like high schoolers, but when I flirt with some other guy to appease my mother, he's getting annoyed at me, and he's not talking to me anymore."

Tears began to appear in her eyes once more. This time, she didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I'm just afraid that I'm going to make him angry enough at me so that he finally gets fed up with the lies and leaves me, and I don't know what I would do without him."

After a long moment, Petrowsky nodded, leaning back in her chair. "I think, first off, that you need to stop referring to Olivia Benson as a he, as I'm sure she wouldn't really appreciate that."

Alex's eyes widened to twice their normal size. "How di-, I mean wha-, who-."

Petrowsky shrugged before chucking softly. "I've seen the little doodles with Olivias name encased in a little heart in the garbage bin next to your chair."

Alex looked down at the floor, her face red hot.

"Don't be embarrassed, Alexandra," Petrowsky said patting her hand tenderly. "Trevor Langan has done much, much, much more inappropriate doodles involving Detective Benson then just her name in a heart. God, the things he can do with a pencil and paper... if he paid attention a bit more during trials, he may actually win one once in a while."

Alex's head shot up, narrowing so tight, Petrowsky thought they were closed. "He what?"

"He draws explicit doodles of Detective Benson. I have some here in my desk if you'd like to see them. Very talented artist, if I say so myself."

"No I do not want to see them!"

Alex stood up, grabbing her briefcase, wondering if it would be more beneficial to chop off both of his hands, or just one of his heads.

"Alexandra, wait!"

Alex turned bak to her, visibly itching to go and find Langan.

"Can't this wait, your honor?" she growled.

Petrowsky smirked at her, crossing her arms with an air of smugness. "There you go. Right there is why you won't leave her, and why she won't leave you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex snapped, all courtroom etiquette thrown out the window.

"Just the mere thought of someone like Langan disrespecting her like that is enough to make you want to kill him. There's no way that you're going to allow yourself to drive her that far away. You love her too much, and you're going to beg for her forgiveness, she's going to give it to you because you love one another, Alexandra. There's no way that you would continue the charade of lies when she's about to leave. You love her too much to care about what other people think. You may not think that right now, but soon enough, I promise you'll see it."

Alex stood silent for a moment, letting the Judges words sink in before she gave her a sad attempt at a smile, wishing she wasn't so unbelievably pissed off and unable to show her full gratitude.

"Thank you, your honor. If you excuse me, I have a defense attorney to murder."

Petrowsky stood up, reaching in her drawer and pulling out several crumpled up legal pad papers. "Before you go and commit first degree murder, you should actually take a look at the doodles."

Alex took a deep breath, and slowly walked back over to her desk, preparing herself for the absolute, exploit, disgusting, horrid, vile pictures Langan had drew.

She picked the first page up and couldn't help herself but laugh at the drawings done by one of her arch nemesis.

"For a few months, I actually thought she would go for the defense attorney rather then the prosecutor, shake things up a little. Guess I was wrong," Petrowsky said rather thoughtful as Alex looked over the image she herself had drawn at least a hundred times in court.

Olivia's name encased inside a little heart.

"You lied to me," Alex said with a slight breath of relief, knowing there was no way she would be able to take down Trevor Langan in a fight.

"Yeah but it proved my point, didn't it?"

Alex let out a short laugh and nodded, putting the paper down on Petrowsky's desk and giving her a true, genuine smile. "Thank you, your honor. You've been a big help."

With a final smile of gratitude, Alex left he small office, for the fist time in three days, feeling absolutely fine.

"You're being a baby."

"No I'm not."  
"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are. And will at least try not to look as miserable as you are right now?"

"I am pleasant, damn it! And I'm not going to forgive her! Not after what she yelled at me about, and not after she blamed me for just doing what she wanted me to do! She should be the one forgiving me!"

Olivia and Elliot sat at the small cafeteria inside the court house, Olivia with a small salad in front of her, Elliot with a double cheeseburger with extra bacon.

Elliot sighed, putting down his french fry and looked over at her.

"You love her. You're going to ask her to get married. So what if she flirted with some guy to make her mother happy. You kissed me to make your girlfriend happy. I would say you owe her something."

"I kissed you because she lied to her parents about us. I didn't want to, she forced us into that position."

"And Lila pushed Alex into her position. Trust me, Liv, Alex wanted nothing more to do with that guy. She loves you."

Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "Sure seems like a funny way of showing it. Lies about me, makes me lie about me, doesn't even tell her parents that we're dating. Oh yeah, I can feel the love."

She took a long drink of her ice tea before casting her eyes to the ground, her mood saddened completley. "I just... I just don't want to feel like I'm embarrassing to her."

Elliot looked at her with complete and utter confusion. "Embarrassment? Olivia, where the hell is this coming from? No one, man or woman, straight or gay, would be embarrassed to be with you. You're smart, funny, you have a smoking body for a 45-"

"44, and you wonder why Kathy left you," Olivia muttered, but Elliot ignored the jibe for the time being.

"Okay, 44, going to be 45 in a month, year old woman. You're gorgeous, Liv, and if you were straight, I would do you in a second."

"I'm sorry, what unit do we work in again?"

Elliot once again ignored the bite. "Why would she be embarrassed to be with you?"

"Look at her" Olivia said, her voice no louder then a whisper.

"She's beautiful."

"So are you."

"No I'm not."

"Olivia, trust me. As a straight male, I can promise you, you are just as beautiful."

Tears filled Olivias eyes.. "Then why is she so ashamed to say she's with me? Why doesn't she want her parents to meet he real me? Why does she keep on lying about me?"

Elliot at once abandoned his sandwich and moved his chair to sit next to her, pulling her into his arms.

"It has nothing to do with how you look," he whispered, gently stroking her hair as she silently cried into his shoulder. "She's afraid to come out, Olivia. She's not as comfortable as it with you, it's not... as common in her line of work for females to be gay. But, Olivia, she loves you, you love her, why can't you just forget this entire week, suck it up, and forgive her, and live out the rest of your lives in complete and utter bliss and happiness?"

Olivia chuckled before she pulled away from Elliots grasp.

She managed a weak smile, tears still glistening in her chocolate colored eyes. "Because life isn't a fairytale."

Several hours and one rapist in prison later, Alex pulled into her garage, wanting nothing more then to go to her apartment, take a hot shower, order a large pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni, and spend the rest of the night in Olivias arms watching old Mel Brook movies, enjoying her girlfriends laugh more then anything.

Olivia pulled into the garage after Alex, neither having had a chance to talk to one another.

The moment they stepped out of their cars, Olivia walked over to Alex and took a deep breath.

"Alex, look. I may have over reacted-"

But Olivia's words were cut off as Alex grabbed her by the back of the head and crashed their lips together.

Alex pushed her up against the car, pressing her body up against the detectives, lavishing her in hot and passionate kisses.

When Alex finally pulled away, the two women breathless, she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, moving the hair from her eyes. "Olivia, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this, I never meant for all the lies. I'm going to tell them... after Christmas, I swear to god, Liv, I'll tell them everything. You have my word. I know that doesn't mean much coming from the woman whose lied god knows how many times over the last few days, but I promise you I will tell them."

Olivia, still trying to wrap her mind around why her girlfriend had kissed her like that in their garage could only think of three words to say to her lover. "I'm sorry, what?"

Alex chuckled and kissed her once more. "I love you, Olivia. I'm going to tell them everything after Christmas, I promise."

A large breathtaking smile lit up Olivias face. "Really? You swear you'll tell them about me?"

Alex nodded. "Everything."

Olivia let out a cry of joy before she hugged her, holding her closer then before. "Thank you," she whispered, a hint of tears in her voice. "Thank you, Alex. You have no idea what this means to me."

Alex chuckled softly and buried her head in Olivias shoulder. "You don't have to thank me for this."

Alex pulled away and smiled at Olivia for a moment before she turned towards the door leading into the house and groaned.

"Do we have to go in?"

"Well it's either that or stay here in the garage all night, and Fluffys around here somewhere, so..."

With a sigh, Alex nodded and she and Olivia both walked into the house.

"Alexandra!" Lila's shrill voice met their ears the moment they walked in. "Alexandra, come in the kitchen now!"

Alex groaned loudly before she and Olivia made their way into the kitchen where Lila was looking over a list in total and complete disgrace.

She walked over them, the piece of paper clenched firmly in her hand.

"Do you two have no- oh good lord, Miss. Benson, is that what you wore in court today? No wonder you win a majority of your cases, Alexandra, the jury doesn't want their eyes burned from that outfit anymore then they have to."

Olivia looked from Alex to Lila, looking up and down her own outfit which consisted of black slacks and a white button up shirt with a black vest over it. "What's wrong with it?"

"You look like Aladdin. Maybe you could ask your genie to actually give you some clothes with fabric that doesn't burn the skin of wealthy, fashion forward individuals instead of... what on earth is that made of? Polyester cotton blend?"

Olivia smiled as sweet as she could manage to her. "Or maybe you could just bite me and my outfit."

"If it got you a new wardrobe that didn't come from the Wal-Mart clearance rack, I'd be glad to."

"If it got you to shut up, I'd be glad for you to do it as well."

Alex groaned before she got in front of Olivia, blocking Lila's view from her. "What was the matter when we came in, mom?" she asked, nudging Olivia in the ribs when she began muttering.

Lila straightened out and held out the list for her.

"Like I was saying... do you two have no shame?" she shouted looking from Olivia to Alex.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Alex said looking down at the paper which was a long list of food ingredients.

Lila scoffed and motioned around the kitchen as if that made it obvious. "Are you serious, Alexandra? You have no food in this house! How can you expect me to plan a Christmas diner when you don't even have seasoned imported cranberries from the gardens of Eastern Europe!"

Alex and Olivia looked at one another before they turned back to Lila who took a deep breath before she continued, in a much more calming voice.

"I'm going shopping, and I need to know how much to buy. I already know what, I just need to know how much. Miss. Benson, how many people are you bringing, or does the friendly people at the Salvation Army hand deliver your Turkey substance every year?"

Olivia sighed and rubbed her temples, already feeling a mother of a headache coming on.

"No one from my side."

"Good lord, that's quite miserable and depressing. What about your co workers?"

"They all eat at Elliots."

"What about family? Mother, father, sisters, brothers? Though I dare say, I have had all the Benson I could stand in a lifetime," she muttered just loud enough for them all to hear.

Olivia growled at her before Alex shot her a warning look, pleading with her not to get into it now.

"No one," Olivia repeated.

Lila looked up from her list and cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Everyone dines with family on Christmas."

Olivia shook her head. "Not everyone. My mother died ten years ago, and my brother goes to his fiancees family for Christmas."

"What about your mothers family? Aunts uncles, cousins?"

"We... we don't really keep in touch," she muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Okay, how about your father then? Surly you must spend time with him?"

"Mom, don't!" Alex scolded, gaining an odd look form Lila.

"Why not?"

"Just don't, okay?"

Lila looked from Olivia who was staring at the ground looking utterly embarrassed who prayed that Lila would let the subject drop before turning back to an annoyed looking Alex. "What's going on?"

Olivia took a deep breath before she looked backup at Lila, deciding the truth would be better then the lie, knowing it would come out eventually. "I never knew my father."

Lila nodded, and then to Alex's horror, a look of concern came over Lila's face.

"You never knew your father? Oh god heavens, Miss. Benson, why didn't you say anything?"

Olivia shrugged, "it's fine."

Lila offered a sickly sweet smile that both women knew meant the complete opposite of sweet was about to come out of her mouth. "It's okay, darling. I'm sure your mother had some idea of who it was. After all, how many men could one woman sleep with in the course of a few months?"

Alex never moved so fast as she did at that moment, pushing Olivia away from Lila, Olivia struggling to get to Lila and winning against Alex's efforts.

Lila backed up several steps, her hand to her heart, her eyes wide with shock. "What on earth is wrong with you?" she cried in fright.

"Don't you ever talk about my mother like that again!" Olivia ordered, desperately trying to get by Alex.

"No wonder he probably left her after one night! By then of course she was probably so used to it by then it didn't really matter to her, did it? It's no wonder you turned out the way you did!"

"Mom, stop!" Alex demanded, still trying to restrain Olivia.

"Fuck you, you stupid, ugly cunt!" Olivia screamed, still trying to get past Alex.

Alex pushed Olivia away, making her almost crash into the kitchen table, glaring furiously at her.

"Don't ever insult my mother like that!" Alex shouted, glaring daggers at Olivia.

Olivia let out a screech of mad laughter. "You're bitching at me for insulting your mother, but it's fine to insult mine right?"

"No, but calling my mother what you did was over the line, Olivia."

"Well she is! You've said it yourself you can't stand being around her!"

"I never said that!" Alex lied, ignoring Lila's suddenly hurt face.

Olivia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at her. "You're a lier, Alex. In fact, why don't you tell your mother what else you've been lying about."

Alex narrowed her eyes furiously at her, but remained silent.

"Come on, Alex! Tell your mother the truth! You just said it out there that you were going to tell her the truth about everything, so lets hear it! Or was all that just another lie as well?"

"Olivia, shut up!"

"No! Tell her the truth now, or I will!" Olivia shouted, tears filling her eyes.

There was complete silence in the kitchen for a moment, neither Alex or Olivia breaking their stares.

Olivia shook her head, chucking coldly. "I knew it. I knew it was all a big lie. I gave you warning, Alex, so if she hates you for not telling her, then that's all on you!"

Olivia looked over Alex's shoulder at Lila who was looking downright scandalized.

"Lila, your daughter has been lying to you for her entire life."

"Olivia, no!" Alex screamed, desperation heavy in her voice.

"What on earth are you talking about, you wretched heathen!" Lila cried, and Olivia was delighted to hear tears in her usually calm, collected voice.

"Alex is a-

It happened before Alex could stop herself. She felt the sharp sting against her palm, and as soon as it had registered with her what she did, Alex gasped in shock, taking several steps back.

Olivia put her hand to her face slowly, resting it on the bright red mark left by Alex's hand.

"Olivia, I'm sorry," Alex breathed, still unable to believe what she had done to her.

Olivia narrowed her eyes at her, slowly towards her, making Alex back up until she was cornered, tears in both women's eyes.

"don't you dare hurt her!" Lila cried, and for a moment it looked like she was going to go up to Olivia, but the furious glare Olivia sent her held Lila at bay, as it did Alex.

Olivia turned back to Alex, looking at her in what one would only be able to describe as disgust.

"We're done," Olivia spat, her voice harsh and cold. "I'm going to Elliots tonight, and I'll come back in the morning for my stuff."

She glared at her for a moment longer before she turned away, storming away from her.

"Olivia, wait!" Alex cried, running after her.

"Alexandra!" Lila called, but Alex didn't pay Lila any attention.

Olivia ignored Alex as she grabbed her coat, her purse, and her keys, slamming the door closed.

"Don't go!" Alex pleaded, a hint of hysteria in her voice, wrenching the door open. "Olivia, please!"

Olivia continued to ignore her and got in to her car, nearly breaking the door hinges off in the process.

She turned the key in the ignition and drove off, not looking back, making sure Alex didn't see her tears.

"Olivia!" Alex cried, ignoring the freezing, bitter snow that whipped around her, running after her, but when the car turned the corner and out of site, she stopped, tears falling down her face, freezing where the fell.

Alex let out another sob, shaking from both grief and the bitter cold, managing to speak only two words. "I'm sorry."

Please Review!!


	6. Chapter 6

I own no one but my own people.

December 23, 2:30 AM, Alex's brownstone.

Tears filled Alex's eyes as she sat on the couch, a cold cup of coffee that Lila had poured her much earlier sat on the coffee stand, thinking that Alex's breathless sobs had been caused by "the completley unprovoked attack," by Olivia, unaware that it was the absence of Olivia that had caused her to be upset.

She had called her dozens of times to apologize for what she had done, for what she had said, for throwing away the best thing that had ever happened to her by far. The second time, it went straight to voice mail, but that had not stopped her from calling again, and again, and again until finally the cold robotic voice telling her that Olivia wasn't available was too much for Alex.

She threw her phone down and wept some more for the better part of an hour, leading up to now when she simply stared at the TV, tears falling slowly down her face.

She heard footsteps on the stairs and with a tiny click, the light over her turned on the same footsteps walk over to her.

Alex didn't even bother to look at her father who stayed silent for a few moments before he spoke.

"Have you tried calling her?"

Alex simply nodded, not wanting to talk for fear of the hysterical sobbing coming back once more.

"What did she say?"

Alex stayed silent, and Max sighed, understanding that to mean that Olivia had either hung up or not picked up her phone at all.

"Honey." He reached out to touch her shoulder, but Alex jerked away, wanting no one to touch her if that person was not a detective with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Alex, I know what you're going through, and I know it hurts-"

"You have no idea what this is like."

Alex lifted her head to look at her father, a fresh batch of tears making their way down her face. "So please don't try to make it seem like you know what it's like to lose your... best friend," she grumbled looking down at the carpet once more, hating herself for not having the courage to admit what Olivia was to her even now.

Max looked at her for a moment before he cast his eyes down at the ground, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Alex, I think we both know that Olivia is much more then your friend."

Alex snapped her head up, looking wide eyed at her father. "What did you just say?"

Max smiled and pushed the hair away from Alex's face. "I'm your father, Alex. Did you really think I wouldn't have noticed how close you two were?"

"How long-"

"Since you called us up a year ago and told us that you asked her to move in with you and you were getting a new roommate. Two grown women, both with good living, living together and not having it be romantic? I wasn't born yesterday, Alex."

Alex looked down, unable to look her father in the face as she picked a piece of fuzz off from the couch. "Are you going to tell mom?"

"I think you should, but no, I'm not going to."

Alex managed a weakened smile before she returned her eyes to the floor.

"Are you mad at me?" she grumbled, not really wanting a response.

"Yes."

Alex bit back a sob but said nothing as she nodded, the tears rolling down her face.

Max placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"I'm mad-" he said with a soft smile. "That you didn't tell us, that you think falling in love is something to be ashamed of, that you would rather let the woman you are so hopelessly in love with walk out your door then to tell us the truth about yourself."

Alex let out a sob, unable to tell if these were tears of joy or sadness.

"I don't know what to do," she cried, the sobs shaking her body. "She hates me. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

"Alex, calm down and listen to me," Max said calmly and firmly, wiping the tears from her face with a tissue from the coffee table.

Alex sniffed and looked at Max who took a deep breath before he continued.

"Did I ever tell you... about Jane Messner?"

Alex shook her head, continuing to wipe the continuing tears.

Max chuckled sadly and looked down at the ground a moment before looking back at Alex. "I was in my final year of law school at NYU. There was a little coffee shop right around the corner, built for college kids, you know. I used to go there all the time and study.

Well one day, a new waitress was there. A group of local idiots were harassing her, and I basically told them to either leave her alone or they would be faced with criminal charges.

They left, and we began talking. She had just finished her masters in teaching history and , and was looking for gigs in the city. She was just doing this part time until she got a teaching gig. She wanted to be an elementary teacher."

Max sighed, a small smile growing on his lips. "I fell in love. She was smart, beautiful, made me laugh... she was everything I had ever wanted. On the day of my graduation I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.

When I told my parents... well, lets just say they didn't share the same enthusiasm as I did about her. She was a poor elementary school teacher who came from nothing. They told me I had to leave her."

Tears began to spring in Maxs eyes. He didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I did it. Because I was afraid of what my parents would have thought of me. What the high end of society would think of me being with a nobody in their eyes. I told her that it wasn't going to work out, that she could keep the ring, and to never contact me again."

He chuckled sadly as Alex looked on, completley speechless. "The next day is when my mother introduced me to Lila. On paper, me and her were a perfect match. Don't get me wrong, I love your mother," he added, seeing Alex's eyes widen. "I love her more then life and would do anything for her. But... sometimes I can't help but wonder what my life would have been like if I had the courage to stand up to my parents, to tell them that I loved Jane and I didn't care what they thought of me."

Alex sat completley and utterly stunned. The way she had heard it was Lila was Maxs first and only love, and vice versa. Never before had she ever heard that her father had loved another person, much less been engaged.

Max took a shuddering breath to calm his nerves before he turned to Alex, a look of what one might classify as desperation on her face. "Go after her, Alex. Go after her, and tell her that your sorry, that you love her more then life itself, that you would rather stay single the rest of your life then not be with her."

Alex let out a sob before wrapping her arms around Max who hugged her just as tight.

"I love you, dad," she whispered, the tears falling heavily down.

"I love you too, Alex," he breathed before pulling away, a smile on his tear stained face. "Now get the hell out of here and don't come back without the woman you love."

Without another word, Alex all but ran to the front door, opening and shutting it, determined to win back the love of her life.

About a second later, she was back, shaking the cold form her hair.

"I ain't going out there without a jacket, it's freezing!"

Thirty minutes later, Alex would not have even considered Olivia a friend much less the love of her life.

"She can take time out of her schedule to drive the car, but she can't spend ten minutes to pay for the gas," Alex grumbled, as she and her car sat stranded on the side of the road just past the Queensboro bridge, shaking from the bitter cold.

She had left her cell phone and wallet at home, and Olivia had dismissed the idea on having Onstar because it was just twenty bucks a month that could be spent on their cell phone or G.P.S. bill.

Despite her situation, Alex couldn't help but chuckle at one of her and Olivias most common arguments, next to leaving the cupboard doors open and the tooth paste cap off.

Alex sighed and leaned back against the seat and rubbed her hands together, trying to generate some heat through them, and failing miserably.

With a groan, she looked up at the sky, slightly glaring at the roof of the car.

"Is this punishment for me being an ass?"

The large flurried gust of wind outside gave her the answer.

Alex looked out the window and almost began crying at what awaited her.

She could not see three inches in front of her face the snow and wind was blowing so hard.

She knew shw could wait in the car all night, and probably be found close to morning. If she didn't freeze to death by the time someone came to investigate the stranded car on the side of the road.

Alex also knew that by car, Elliots house was only two, two and a half miles at the most away from the bridge, and she had been there enough times with Olivia she could practically drive it blindfolded.

Plus, she thought, beginning to tremble from the cold and adrenalin, her heart pounding, someone was bound to be driving this time of night in the city, even if the weather outside was horrid, and stop for her

"I'll do it," Alex thought to herself zipping up her coat as far as it would go, putting the hood up. " And besides," Alex thought as she opened the door, whimpering as the snow hither in the face like a knife, "someone's bound to pick me up by the time I reach Elliots house."

Elliots house, 4:45 AM

Olivia laid sleeping on the couch, her pillow stained with tears, a fleece blanket on top of her, several empty beer bottles on the stand beside her.

After Olivia had to physically restrain Elliot from going after Alex for slapping her, Elliot had told her she was better off without her, that Alex needed to work on her own issues before Olivia could be with her, that Olivia deserved so much more then what Alex had to offer.

Even though she had a few beers in her at that point, it didn't sound right to the detective in anyway.

The sound of knocking interrupted Olivia from her restless sleep, and she picked her head off the pillow, not wanting to get up for the world.

"Who is it?" she grumbled, already feeling the aftermath of the alcohol.

The person knocked again and Olivia looked at the living room clock and groaned, putting her head back down on the pillow.

"It's almost five AM. Whatever it is, it can wait until morning!"

The intruder continued to knock and Olivia groaned before she threw the blanket off of her and stormed towards the door.

"You better have a damn good reason to be knocking on someone's house in the middle of the night!"

Olivia wrenched open the door, her eyes widening, her anger turning to confusion and fear in a heart beat.

"Alex?" she managed to say, her voice no louder then a whisper.

Alex was shaking so violently, Olivia was sure she was going to fall, snow covered every inch of her, and streaks of ice ran down her face as if her tears had frozen.

Alex opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't even make out one word her teeth were chattering so hard.

"Where the hell is the car?" Olivia asked, still trying to grasp the concept of why her girlfri- ex girlfriend was on her partners steps in the middle of the night.

"Ra- ra- ran ou- out o- of g- gas," Alex said, shaking even more violently. "Had t- to walk fr- fro- from t- the bri- bridge."

"Oh Christ," Olivia muttered moving out of the way, leading Alex in.

"Come on, lets get you unthawed."

Alex slowly walked into the house, shaking as hard as if she were still outside.

Olivia led her into the living room and sat her down on the couch, covering her up with the blanket before feeding logs into the fire place and lighting it with the matches on the mantle.

Alex felt the warmth from the fire wash over her as if she had just sunken down into a hot bath, and her rigged body relaxed some.

"I'll get you some coffee," Olivia muttered, but the moment she went to walk away, Alex grabbed at her, unable to close her fingers around her arm all the way.

"Don- don't g- g- go! I ne- ne- need to ta- ta- talk to you!"

"Alex, your body is frozen. You need something warm to drink," Olivia told her, deciding if it would be a safe bet to call an ambulance.

Alex shook her head, sending the snow everywhere. "No! I ne- need to te- tell yo- you som- something!"

Olivia sighed but sat down on the couch.

"Will you at least take of those wet clothes?"

"No- not un- until yo- you listen."

"You're going to freeze to death, Alex!"

Alex shrugged. "S- s- so. If I can- can't be wi- with you, then I mig- might as we- well be dead."

"Well at least the stuttering going down," Olivia mumbled before she sighed. "Alex, listen-"

"Who's down there?" Elliot's voice rang out before there were footsteps on the stairs.

"Olivia, is that you or-"

The moment Elliot saw Alex, his eyes narrowed at her as he stormed over to her.

"Get the hell out of my house now."

"Elliot, leave her alone."

"No! Alex, get out or I will arrest you for breaking and entering."

Alex stood up, still shaking somewhat and shook her head. "No. I ne- need to talk t- to Olivia."

"Not on my watch!"

"I made a mistake, but I swear to god that I love her!" Alex cried, tears running down her face.

"Well if hitting someone is a mark of love, then please let me show you how much I adore you."

Elliot took a step a towards Alex before Olivia rushed in front of him.

"Touch one hair on her head and I swear to god there's gonna be trouble," Olivia growled.

"Olivia, move, now," Elliot told her stepping to the right, but Olivia was right in front of him once more. "

"No. And you're not throwing her out in the cold either."

"This is bull shit! If Alex was a man who hit you-"

"slapped."

"Same difference! If Alex was a man who slapped you, would you stop me from fighting."

"I don't know. But I do know that I wouldn't let you throw anyone out in the cold, not tonight."

The two partners glowered at once another before Elliot stepped back away from the two women.

"thank you," Alex whispered, placing a hand on Olivias shoulder but she threw it off.

"Just because I'm stopping you from getting killed doesn't mean I forgive you."

Alex took a step back, evidently hurt.

"But I'm sorry. I love you, Olivia, I love you more then life itself. I'm sorry I slapped you, and I'm sorry I lied to my parents about us, about you, about everything. But I would rather die then to not be with you, okay, I would spend a thousand years in hell then to let you leave. Don't do this, Olivia... please."

Olivia wiped the tears away from her eyes before she turned around to look at her, her heart nearly breaking at the sight of Alex's desperate look.

"Alex... you say that you would do all those things, that you would rather be dead then to be without me. But you wouldn't even tell your parents about us because you're afraid of what they would say."

"Olivia, no-"

"Yes, Alex, and you know it's true."

Olivia sighed as she sat down on the couch, Alex following.

Olivia turned to look at her and took a deep breath before she continued. "I love you. I love you more then life itself. I can't or won't ever deny that. But I'm not going to spend the rest of my life with someone who's afraid to admit what she is, who can't even tell her parents about me for fear that she'll be embarrassed, who'll slap me as opposed to having the truth exposed. Alex, it's not fair to me, or to you."

"Olivia," Alex pleaded, tears falling down her face. "Please."

"I'm sorry, Alex," Olivia whispered. "But it's not fair to either of us,. You should be with someone who doesn't mind the lies or the secrets. But I'm not going to deal with that... no matter what I have to lose. I'm sorry."

Tears ran down Alex's face who forced herself not to sob in front of them.

She hastily wiped the tears from her face and nodded. "Will this make you happy? Us breaking up?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. It will make me miserable. But I'm not going to subject myself to the lies anymore."

Alex sighed and nodded. "Fine. If you think its for the best then there's nothing I can, I guess."

Olivia offered a weak smile, knowing it did nothing for either of them. "Thank you, Alex."

Alex made a move to stand up, but Alex put a hand out to stop her. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"How are you getting there?"

"Walking."

Olivia shook her head. "No. Not in this weather, not at night. I'll drive you home tomorrow, and I can pick up my stuff then."

"I'm fine, Olivia."

"No you're not. I don't care if we're broken up or not, I'm not letting you kill yourself. You'll sleep here tonight."

"It's Elliots house, and I'm sure he doesn't want me spending the night."

Both women turned towards Elliot who said nothing but crossed his arms.

"Elliot," Olivia pleaded softly, desperation heavy in her voice. "Don't do this."

Elliot sighed and nodded. "Fine. Alex, if I have to cuff you to the couch, you're staying here."

Alex groaned but laid back on the couch, surprisingly tired.

"I'll take that coffee now," she muttered, her eyes closing.

Olivia nodded and got off the couch to go into the kitchen, Elliot following.

"She hit you," he muttered as Olivia got a mug out of the cupard.

"She slapped me and was under a lot of stress," Olivia said as she poured her a cup of coffee and put it in the microwave.

"So if I went off and slapped you as hard as I could because I was stressed, you would be telling me it wasn't my fault?"

Olivia stayed silent as she got the creme out of the fridge.

"Olivia, you're not answering because you know I'm right. She did that to you, she lied about you, she did all those things to you, and you still want to be with her. You still love her."

Yeah I do!" Olivia snapped, slamming down the container and turning around to glare at him. "I love her, okay. I love her beyond anything and I would die for her and nothing will ever change that!"

She hastily wiped the tears away from her eyes and pulled the cup from the microwave. "We're done now, alright? It's over between us. But sorry if I'm not going to throw her out into te ice and snow because she's my ex."

Elliot sighed and said nothing before walking out of the kitchen, pausing at the doorway. "I'll sleep in Maureens old room, you can sleep in my bed, okay?"

"Thanks, El," she muttered as she poured the creme into the cup.

Elliot just gave a quick nod before he left, not looking back at her.

Olivia put a sugar in the cup before she brought it out, smiling at the form that met her.

Alex was already asleep, the fleece blanket wrapped firmly around her, her hair falling in her face.

Olivia went over and gently brushed the hair from her face.

Alex moaned softly, "Olivia," she grumbled, her eyes still closed. "I'm sorry. Oliv- Olivia."

She grumbled something else unintelligible and rolled over on the couch.

Olivia kneeled down and put the coffee cup on the stand next to the couch and leaned in before softly kissed her on the top of her head.

"I love you," she muttered into her hair, enjoying the sweet scent that she had the pleasure of inhaling for the last year.

She pulled back, allowed her eyes to feast on her for a few moments before turning away.

Please Review!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

I own no one.

A/N: You wanna know the best things about college? Free internet, which means I can upload faster instead of waiting about a month to update. I don't think I'm supposed to be doing this on the schools computers, but what mama doesn't know won't get me banned from the library.

December 23, 10:15 AM, NY Elliot's house.

Alex woke up sweaty, hot, and tired.

She sat up and noticed that she still had on her jacket, gloves, and boots as well as a heavy fleece blanket, the fire roaring.

Alex pushed the blanket off of her and stretched, also pulling off her outerwear.

The smell of hot coffee met her senses and she at once rose to go to the kitchen where she smiled at the sight.

Olivia was sitting down at the table drinking a cup of coffee, reading the paper.

Alex cleared her throat and Olivia looked up from the paper and smiled at the ADA.

"How you feeling?"

"A little hot but I'm okay," Alex answered as she took a seat besides Olivia.

"Like fever hot or-"

"No, no, nothing like that. Just the fact that I slept with a down jacket, a fleece blanket, winter boots and a roaring fire."

A slight blush broke out on Olivia's skin as she looked down at the table.

"I didn't want you to get cold."

Alex chuckled and also looked down at the table. "It was a pretty stupid thing to walk here in a blizzard. But I had to see you."

"It couldn't have waited until morning?" Olivia asked, trying to pretend that she was once again reading the paper.

Alex shook her head as she took the paper away from Olivia. "No. I made the biggest mistake of my life and I was going to do whatever I had to do to fix it."

"You could have died, Alex."

"So? I might as well be dead then be without you."

"Don't say that, Alex. You don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

"Stop it!"

They looked at one another for a moment before Olivia cleared her throat and got up from the table, taking another sip of coffee. "Well whatever. We're both free, and it's done."

Alex sighed but nodded, avoiding her eyes once more.

She looked around the kitchen, the uncomfortable silence irritating her.

After a few moments, Alex finally spoke. "So where's Elliot?"

"He ran out to do a few errands," Olivia told her, ignoring her face.

"Like what?"

"Nothing too important. A little Christmas shopping business."

"He told me he was done with his shopping."

Olivia shrugged, unable to look at her. "He forgot to buy something."

Alex studied her face for a moment before she chuckled. "You mean he realized he had to take something back, right?"

"Not at all!"

"Olivia."

"He took back your gift."

Alex shrugged, trying to pretend like she wasn't annoyed at Elliot. She thought they had been friends even before she and Olivia started going out, and the fact that he turned on her for this angered her.

"How mature."

"Well you did slap his partner."

"I am sorry about that," Alex admitted.

Olivia shrugged. "I've been hit a lot worse," she reminded her, gently rubbing a hand across her left cheek.

"Don't remind me," Alex pleaded, truly meaning the words, hating the man who had taken control of her lovers' life for a time with such a passion, it made Alex want to scream at just the mention of his name.

She sighed before shrugging; trying to pretend that it didn't bother her. "It's fine. I didn't get him anything anyway," she said truthfully.

"Yes you did," Olivia told her, opening her paper and began reading once more.

"No I didn't," Alex corrected.

"A few weeks ago me and you got a portrait of his kids professionally taken and spent two fifty on a large gold frame, and a hundred fifty on a eight by ten because you over heard him saying how he didn't have any pictures of them all together."

"I'll pay you back my half," Alex mumbled. "I don't have my purse on me."

"Its fine," Olivia insisted, "I wouldn't have asked for the money anyway."

"But that was before we... you know," Alex muttered, unable to get the words, "broke up" out.

"I know," Olivia mumbled, unable to look her in the eye.

The two looked down at the table before Olivia cleared her throat and stood up, going over to the coffee maker. "I'm gonna have another cup and then I'm gonna drive you over to our... your house and grab a few of my things. I'll get the rest when your parents are gone."

Alex got up from the table and walked over to her, turning her around, making sure she was looking at her. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to," Olivia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I don't want to do this anymore, Alex. I don't want the lies."

"I love you, and you love me. That's not a lie, Olivia."

Olivia shook her head before turning back towards the coffee maker. "I'm sorry; Alex, but I can't do this."

Alex forced her back around, grabbing her by the back of the head and kissing her on the lips, pressing her body up against Olivia's, nearly bending her over the counter.

Olivia knew this was wrong. That the kiss would lead to more, and then Alex's heart would be broken again as she left.

But she couldn't fight her, wouldn't fight her.

Olivia kissed her back with just as much passion, her hands running through her blond locks, enjoying the sound of Alex's soft groans.

Alex moved the kisses to her jaw line before she gently nipped at her neck.

Olivia closed her eyes and threw her head back, giving Alex more exposure, their hands exploring the familiar territory, knowing exactly where the other one liked to be touched.

For one moment; their fight, Lila, and the lies all disappeared for the detective. Alex's hands, body, lips against her own was all that mattered.

Alex quickly moved her hands up under Olivia's shirt, grabbing Olivia's breasts, moving the fabric of her bra away.

"Oh god," Olivia groaned as Alex all but ripped her shirt off, the two caught up in a fiery kiss.

"I love you," Alex whispered in her ear as she made a move to undo Olivia's jeans.

And in an instant, Olivia was brought back to reality with a thud.

Olivia sighed and gently pushed Alex away, ignoring every protesting feeling in her body that needed the blonds touch.

"We can't," Olivia said looking away from Alex's hurt face. "I love you more than life itself, but we can't do this."

When Alex spoke, her voice shook. "Why?"

"Because what if I let it go further? We're still broken up, Alex, and nothing is going to change that."

Tears made her way down her face but she hastily wiped them away. "But I love you."

"You love keeping your secret more."

Alex shook her head. "No. Olivia, that's not true! I would do anything for you!"

"Except tell the truth."

The two women stared at one another for a moment before the sound of the locks clicking brought them both back to reality.

Olivia quickly pulled back on her shirt and stepped around Alex, managing a fake smile to greet Elliot.

"Is she still here?" he asked, not yet seeing Alex standing in the kitchen.

"Yeah. We're about to go though. Just having some coffee," Olivia told him.

Elliot walked into the kitchen, shaking the snow from his hair. "It's still coming down pretty hard, supposed to get worse. If I was you I'd leave now, get there before the roads get worse."

"Gee, Elliot, are you sure you want me to go?" Alex asked bitterly.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he said with a smug grin.

"Screw you," Alex muttered, storming past him to go into the living room.

Elliot seemed uncaring as he poured himself a cup of coffee, ignoring Olivia's glare.

"You're an ass sometimes, you know that right?"

He shrugged as he took a sip of his coffee. "I don't like people who hit-"

"Slap."

"Harm my partner."

Olivia sighed, going up to him, managing a small smile.

"Elliot... you're my partner and best friend, I spend more time with you then I did with Alex. I would die for you in a heartbeat and not think twice about it because I know you would do the same for me. But I don't need your protection all the time. Alex slapped me in the heat of the moment because I was about to tell her ice queen mother something very private. But I didn't break up with her because she slapped me. I broke up with her because she would rather slap me then have the truth told."

Elliot shook his head in disbelief. "Why did you do it then?"

"What?"

"If any other girl slapped you, even in the heat of the moment, you would have hauled off and hit them back before arresting them, and they would have been the devil in your eyes."

"No I wouldn't have," Olivia lied, knowing that he was right.

"Yes you would have. But since you're in love with her, then you think that excuses it for some reason or another, and you know its wrong, Olivia. It's wrong because she doesn't love you back, as much as she says she does."

"That's not true. I just don't want to deal with the lies anymore, but we do love each other."

"If she loved you so much, would she have really laid a hand on you just to protect a secret she said she was going to tell them in a few days?"

Olivia looked at him for a moment before she pushed by him.

"Everything okay?" Alex asked as Olivia came into the living room, looking sullen.

"No."

Alex watched as she stormed over to the coat hanger where her jacket was and she all but knocked the whole thing over getting it.

"What did he say to you?" Alex asked, seeing the tears build up in Olivia's eyes.

"What do you care?" Olivia spat, thrusting her arm in to her own jacket. "I'm nothing but your room mate, right?"

"Olivia, that's not true," Alex said softly.

Olivia scoffed, pulling her gloves on with such anger, Alex was sure Olivia had broken a nail. "Well that's what Max and Lila think. That I'm just your poor, old, straight, republican roommate."

"I was going to tell them-"

"Oh don't give me that bull shit, Alex! You were never going to tell, so don't lie to me anymore! Save it for someone who cares. You don't love me; I don't love you, so just get the hell out of my life!"

Olivia reached into her wallet and threw a stunned Alex a twenty, ignoring the tears in both their eyes. "Call a cab; get your own way home. I'm going out."

She wrenched open the door and slammed it shut, the sound echoing in the silent house.

Olivia drove around for a few hours, hating the city seed limit, the busy Christmas season, and the other people on the road as well.

Didn't they know she wanted to drive as fast as she could make her little car go? That she was angry, and pissed off, and beyond reprehension.

Move it!" she screamed at the driver in front of her, honking her horn at the man who had waited half a second before driving at a green light.

Olivia growled before flipping on her siren, feeling a tiny bit better when the cars parted for her.

She drove as fast and as hard as she could go, the adrenaline pumping through her veins, her hands clutching the steering wheel so tight, her knuckles had turned white.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" Olivia thought, her foot coming down harder on the pedal. "Telling me she loves me after she slapped me for trying to tell the truth about her life! Kissing me like that after I told her we were done!"

So invested was she in her thoughts that she didn't see the large dog run out into the middle of the road.

It was only when she saw the flash of brown fur did she slam on the breaks, yanking her steering wheel as far to the left as it would go, barley avoiding colliding with an expensive Mercedes.

She looked out the window and with a tiny breath of relief, saw the dog run off.

Olivia took a shaky breath and closed her eyes, flipping off her siren, trying to steady her nerves.

"You need to calm down," she told herself taking a few more shaky breaths before she started driving once more, going the speed limit.

She soon pulled into a convenient store and shut off her car, deciding that she needed something stronger than a few breaths to calm her nerves.

Olivia got out of the car, putting her hands in her coat pockets.

"What the hell?" she muttered, her fingers encasing around something small and hard.

She pulled it out and chuckled sadly as she looked at the tiny black box that held Alex's engagement ring.

"Guess I do need that return policy," she muttered before putting it back in her pocket.

She walked in, shivering slightly, the inside of the store being just as cold.

"I know," a voice said beside her. "You think they would turn the heat up in the middle of winter."

Olivia turned to face who had talked to her and was pleasantly surprised at who it was.

A woman, she didn't look younger than thirty, but not older than fifty, with one of the most enchanting smiles Olivia had ever seen.

Olivia smiled back at the woman. "I don't know if you're new here, but in New York, the winter is just beginning.

"I just moved here from Texas, so I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said with another smile, throwing her dark brown hair over her shoulder.

"I'm Bree," the woman said sticking out her hand.

"Olivia," she said shaking it.

The two women looked at one another for a moment before Olivia cleared her throat and went over to one of the cooler of beer.

"So how long have you lived in New York?" Olivia asked opening the cooler and pulling out a twelve pack of Light something or other.

"About a month. Figured that six months at the police academy would be better spent in a big city like New York as opposed to a little shit hole town where the most excitement I've seen in my entire career is someone trying to steal a ranchers cattle and they brought a rifle instead of a shot gun."

"You're a cop?" Olivia asked, her voice displaying a hint of surprise as she went over to the counter.

Bree laughed, and Olivia was surprised at the almost sultry quality of it.

"Yeah. Have been for almost twenty years."

Olivia looked her over once again, surprised that she had missed almost subtle wrinkles on her face.

"You don't really look old enough to be a cop."

"Gonna be forty four in three days. I know, I know, at least it's not Christmas Day, right? So enough about me. What do you do?"

Olivia cleared her throat as she pulled out her debit card to pay the cashier. "I'm a detective, actually, Special Victims Unit."

Bree nodded and gave her a small smile.

"That's really admirable. I mean, there's no way I could do that every day. It would get too much for me after a while. The live victims, the children... How long have you been in it?"

"Eleven and a half years."

Bree let out a low whistle. "That's a long time. I had an ex who worked SVU out in Austin, and she only made it a year and a half before she switched to homicide."

Olivia felt like laughing and letting out a scream at the same time.

"I'm sorry what?" Olivia asked making sure she heard her right before she did either of those things.

"I said I had an ex girlfriend who worked SVU, and she quit after a year and a half."

"Oh Christ," Olivia muttered, rubbing her temples, forcing a smile on her face, taking the change from the cashier.

"Bree... do you mind me asking something a little personal?"

"Sure."

"How much do you, how can I put this? How much do you care about money?"

Bree laughed, and instead of being amazed, Olivia was appalled at herself for even consider liking the laugh that escaped the beautiful woman's throat, hating herself even more for still finding it sexy.

"You were a cop once, you know we get paid jack. I mean I'd like more, but money has never been an issue. I grew up with people who made the same amounts my parents did, and I work with people who make the same amount I do, so it's not like I can look down or anything."

Olivia took another deep breath, trying to steady her collapsing nerves. "So have you told anyone about you being-?"

"Gay? Yeah. My family, friends, co workers all know. I'm not ashamed of what I am," she said, her voice a little harsher then she had been, and Olivia knew why at once.

"Oh god, please don't think I'm one of those idiots who hate people like us."

"Like us?" Bree asked a hint of confusion in her voice as well. "You mean you're-"

Olivia nodded and smiled once more. "Gay, and no I'm not joking you, and yes I'm out of the closet."

Bree's confusion was replaced at once by a look of seduction, looking Olivia up and down. "Really?"

She took a step closer looking seemingly innocent. "If you're not doing anything later, maybe you and me could split some of those beers you just bought."

Olivia withheld a groan, praying for the right answer on the next question, unsure of what she wanted that answer to be. "What about your parents?"

"My what?" Bree asked, not fully understanding what Olivia was asking.

"You're parents. Do your parents know you're a lesbian?"

Bree scoffed and nodded. "Are you kidding? They were the first people I told."

"Are you serious?" Olivia groaned, running a hand through her hair.

"Is everything okay?"

"No. You're perfect!"

Bree looked at her in utter confusion. "Yes, I can see as how that would be a problem."

Olivia sighed. "No I'm sorry, Bree, it's just... you don't make a lot of money, you aren't ashamed of being gay, your parents know you are, you're a cop, and you're only a year younger than me. You seem funny, intelligent, nice..."

"So what's the problem?" she asked with a small smirk, taking a step closer to Olivia.

"The problem." Olivia took a step back, sighing sadly. "Is that you're not Alex."

"Who?"

"Ex girlfriend."

Bree nodded. "How long have you guys been broken up?"

"Does us making out in my co workers kitchen this morning count if the words were already spoken?"

"Yes."

"Then three and a half hours."

"Damn!"

"Yeah."

Bree looked down at the ground. "So I guess this means we won't be going out anytime soon?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm sorry, but.... I'm not ready yet."

Bree offered a sad smile at her. "It's okay, I get it. I've had my heart broken a few times as well."

Bree sighed, smiled one last time at Olivia before she walked out of the store, leaving Olivia looking after her.

"I hate you, Alex," Olivia mumbled, kicking the wall, and then hating her even more for her throbbing foot.

Olivia waited until she was sure Bree had left the parking lot before she walked out, pulling the coat around her tighter.

In those few minutes she had been in the store, the snow had picked up far worse than it had been that morning, and Olivia could hardly see in front of her.

She walked to her car, putting the beer in the back seat before she got it, the large gust of wind making her shiver.

The moment she was in the car, she turned the heat on full blast, silently thanking Alex for getting her heating and cooling system fixed a year ago, and now only had to wait seconds for heat instead of the better part of an hour.

Olivia began to drive off, her mind flooding back to Alex, and all the things she had done for her over the two years they had been together, and the year they had actually lived together.

She had stopped cooking with mushrooms, her absolute favorite, because Olivia hated them, she had switched her shampoo and conditioner to a much more expensive brand because Olivia had casually told her she liked the smell once when out shopping, she had even gotten over being gun shy so that she and Olivia could go to the gun range, one of Olivia's favorite past times, together.

But what she had really done for her, no matter what Elliot had said to her, no matter what she told Alex just this morning, was she loved her. She had loved her more than anything in the world. She was there when she had a bad case, when she and Elliot would get into fights, when she needed a shoulder to cry on, when she thought that she would have to quit the squad because of what happened at Sealview, Alex was right there telling her she couldn't. That if she did she let him win.

Tears filled Olivia's eyes as the memories came flooding back to her in drones, needing that love so desperately now it almost caused her physical pain.

"I made a mistake," she whispered to herself. "I need to fix this."

Pulling into a parking lot, she quickly turned around, heading back to Elliot's house, praying that she was still there.

Two streets away, a young girl named Britney Higgins was in her father's four door pickup, her radio blaring the latest Miley Cyrus hit, her Blackberry curve attached firmly to her ear.

"I'm gonna meet you at Andreas, then we're all gonna go to Jessica's. I know she's like an uber slut, but have you seen her brother? So cute, and I know he like so wants me. He's always checking me out. Trust me; he's not looking at you. Well who would want to look at you when I'm in the room?"

Britney scoffed at her friend's ignorance before going over a speed bump, dropping her beloved phone in the process.

"Shit," she muttered, seeing the phone go under the passenger side seat.

"I dropped my phone!" she yelled, hoping her friend heard her before bending down to look for it.

She quickly grabbed it and struggled with it for a moment before she pulled it out.

"Got it!" she cried triumphantly before turning back to the road, letting out a scream before she crashed straight into the driver's side of a 94 Dodge Neon, sending it flying around in a circle several times before coming to a stop, the driver's side completely caved in.

Britney quickly hung up on her friend before dialing 911, rushing out of the car, already sobbing as she ran over to the other car.

"911, what is your emergency," the voice on the line asked her.

"I just hit someone with my truck!" she sobbed as she looked into the car, letting out more frantic sobs. "The other driver is all bloody, and I can't get the door open! Oh god, you gotta send help, please!"

"Mam, you need to step away from the car, the gasoline-"

"She isn't moving!"

"Mam, step away from the car and wait for assistance."

Britney was about to comply with the voices request until the other driver groaned softly, blinking her eyes open.

She turned to look at Britney, struggling to keep her eyes open. "What happened?"

"I hit you with my truck! I'm so sorry! I'm on the phone with 911 right now!"

The woman groaned, blinking her eyes more furiously, determined to stay awake, her voice was barely above a whisper as she seemed to look over Britney.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Britney nodded before the woman in took several deep breaths; each one looking like it caused her immense pain. "You need to do something for me, okay?"

"Anything!"

The victim took several more breaths before continuing. "You need to call 867-555-7892, and you need to tell that woman something for me."

"What?"

She slunk back in the seat, her eyes closing, muttering something incoherent before passing out again.

"What?" Britney all but screamed, panic setting in once more, too afraid to reach in and touch the blood covered woman.

She forced her eyes back open to look at Britney, the next words causing her more pain than she ever thought possible.

"Tell Alex that Olivia says she's sorry."

With those final words, Olivia's eyes fluttered shut.

Please Review.


	8. Chapter 8

I own no one.

A/N The one word I hate more then anything is in this chapter. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for using it.

"She told me she didn't love me and she told me to get out of her life," Alex muttered as she and Max sat on the couch, the blizzard continuing to rage outside.

It had taken a cab almost two hours to get to Elliots house, and another hour and a half to get back to her brownstone in Manhattan, the snow coming down harder then before.

"Did you apologize?"

Alex nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve. "Yes, but she didn't care. She said she was sick of the lies, and that it was for the best."

Max sighed and put his coffee cup down, rubbing Alex's shoulder. "Alex, maybe it is for the best. You love each other, yes, but you both need different things in people. She needs someone who is out of the closet, and you need someone who is willing to see past the fact that it's uncomfortable for you to admit that you're a homosexual."

When she spoke, tears filled her voice. "But I want Olivia."

"You can't always get what you want, Alex," Max said softly, biting back his own sorrow, hating the fact his only child was hurting so much.

The sounds of the door opening forced Alex to wipe the remaining tears away, pulling away from her father.

Lila walked in the living room, smiling ear to ear.

"You will not believe who I found out shopping today!" she declared moving out of the way, letting her visitor in.

Alex withheld a groan and Max gave her a supportive back rub.

"Alexandra!" Edward cried, almost as if he was surprised to find her in her own home. "How wonderful to see you again!"

"Hello, Edward," Alex said, not even faking a smile.

Lila looked from Edward to Alex, letting out a scoff. "You're still upset that she moved out?"

"Gee, mom, you're right. Hell she's only been one of my best friends for 10 years, my roommate for one year. Why would I be upset she told me to get out of her life!" Alex snapped before turning back to her coffee.

Lila cleared her throat before straightening out her jacket and walked over to the chair taking a seat in it while Edward took a seat on the couch next to Alex, casually putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Your mother told me what happened, and I personally think it's for the best, really. She seemed rather... what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Loud, crude, brass, poor, butch, a menace?" Lila offered with a shrug.

"Yes that's some of it. But the others is a word that I would never use in front of such distinguished ladies as you two," he said, flashing his overly large white smile.

Alex let out a loud scoff, not forgetting when he called Olivia a bitch for telling him off for nearly grabbing Alex's ass.

"I happened to enjoy Miss. Benson's company," Max said, glaring somewhat at Edward, who pretended to ignore Max's look.

"Max darling, would you mind getting me and Edward a cup of coffee, please?" Lila asked, a small smile on her face that Alex knew Max always said yes to.

Max nodded before getting off the couch, purposely knocking Edwards hand off Alex's shoulder as he left.

Edward cleared his throat before turning to Alex, moving even closer and once again wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "So, Alexandra. I know you're feeling upset at the departure of your room mate for some reason I can't quite understand. Is it your time of the month?" he asked with a chuckle looking at Lila, surprised when she didn't laugh back.

"With all due respect, Edward. I don't think a comment like that is appropriate with a woman of Alexandra's stature in the room," Lila said with a weak smile.

Edward cleared his throat once more, a solemn look on his face. "Of course, Lilian, I do apologize."

He turned back to Alex, and Alex narrowed her eyes at him as Edward rolled his eyes to the ceiling, mouthing the phrase "what an idiot."

"So will you be joining us for Christmas dinner then, Edward?" Lila asked, missing the exchange.

Edward shook his head, turning back to her. "I wish I could, but I have way to many things to get done before the end of that day. On the twenty sixth, me and a group I'm with are actually having a little rally. I would love if you could come and support us Then maybe we could go get dinner?" he asked, turning away from Lila to look at Alex, a smug smile on his face.

"Oh that would be wonderful! Alexandra could get a chance to get out, forget this whole messy business with Olivia. What organization are you a member of?"

"The SCA."

"So you're the president of an organization. My, how responsible!" Lila said nodding at Alex, who looked like she was ignoring her mothers look. "What's does that stand for, exactly? I've never heard of it before," Lila asked

"The Straight Christian Alliance," Edward said with a large grin.

Alex at once stiffened up.

"Oh really? That sounds... interesting. What exactly does your group do?" Lila asked, and Alex was confused to hear almost a hint of panic in her voice.

"We make good, practicing Christians aware of the dangers of homosexuality, tell them what churches will do their unholy unions so they can avoid them, give tips on how to prevent their loved ones from turning to their ways." Edward gave a chuckle and lowered is voice considerably. "We also have put a few back in there places out on the streets. I know, I know, I'm a lawyer, but God comes before my job and mans law in my book."

Alex suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

Lila cleared her throat and straightened out in her chair, and Alex was once again surprised to see her look at Edward not with an almost motherly affection as she had been doing, but with the cold, unforgiving look Alex thought was custom fit for Olivia.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but no one in this family will take part in that, and I would appreciate it if you left my daughters house now."

Edwards face registered shock. "Lilian, what-"

"I will not have someone with your ungodly values and morals in my daughters home," she said coldly "Please get out."

"Ungodly? Do you know what those people are doing to the family structure in America? Those faggots are the unholy ones!"

"Never use that word in my presence!" Lila yelled, standing up in a hurry, her eyes flashing with anger.

Edward turned to Alex, seeming shocked and surprised. "Are you hearing this?"

"Yes, and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you need to listen to her and get out of my house."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Alex before he got up, straightening out his tie. "Fine then. If you two want to support he falling of American and god, then so be it!"

He stormed away from the two of them, yanking the door open before shutting it close.

The phone rang in the other room, but before either Alex could get up from her seat, Max answered it.

"Alex Cabots residence."

Lila took several deep breaths before sitting back down, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, Alex looking over at her.

"Mom, are you-"

"I'm sorry," Lila almost whispered, not looking over at her, and Alex was shocked to hear the tears in her voice. "For bringing that... bastard into your home."

Alex's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open some. "I never heard you curse before."

Lila chuckled and looked over at her. "Sometimes that kind of language is the perfect language for a lady to use."

"Well shit," Alex muttered.

"Don't cuss, Alexandra," Lila sighed, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes in almost defeat.

Alex chuckled and was about to do the same before Max. ran into the room, his eyes frantic and worried, the portable phone in his hand.

"Max., what's wrong?" Lila asked as the two women looked at him in confusion.

"Olivia was in a car accident. She gave some girl this number and told me to 'tell Alex that Olivia said she's sorry'. She said they were trying to get a pulse when they put her in the ambulance."

"What hospital?" Lila asked standing up and going over to Alex and helping her off the couch, her body unwilling to move.

Max. put the phone to his ear once more. "What hospital is she going to? Britney, cal- Britney, calm down," he pleaded, his voice steady and soft. What hospital are they taking her to?"

He waited a moment before he hung up. "Mercy General."

"Max., drive Alexandra to the hospital," Lila told him going over to the coat rack and getting the keys out of her pocket and throwing them to Max. who caught them easily. "The Ferrari only seats two. I'll call a cab and meet you two there."

Max. went over to Alex who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"Alex, we need to go," he said softly.

"I'll never get to tell her I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice full to the brink with desperation.

"Don't think like that, Alex, but we have to go."

Alex stood still for a moment before she shock out of her momentary shock and all but ran out the door, her mind going a million miles an hour.

An hour later, Alex and Max. ran into the hospital, tears filling Alex's eyes.

"Alex!" a voice yelled out, and Alex looked around before spotting the source of the voice and running up to it, Max. following close behind.

"Is she okay? Tell me!" Alex pleaded with Elliot, tears running down her face.

"They haven't told me anything," he said, his voice breaking as much as hers. "I'm waiting for the doctor to come out."

"When will we know?" Alex asked, desperation heavy in her words.

"I don't know. They took her into surgery about thirty minutes ago," Elliot answered truthfully.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?"

"I'm her emergency point of contact incase something happens on the job. I'm thinking they assumed that's what happened and they called me."

"Why aren't I her point of contact?" Alex asked, although both men knew she could care less at the moment.

"She didn't want you to know if she ever got hurt on the job. She didn't want to look weak in front of you," Elliot said, a note of bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Alex," Max. said, gently rubbing her shoulders.

"You're Alex?" another voice said, tears heavy in her voice.

All three turned towards the voice and saw Britney sitting a few seats away, her eyes red and puffy from crying, a tiny line of dried blood on her forehead.

"Yes, why?"

Britney's crying seemed to momentarily cease as she narrowed her eyes in confusion, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "I thought you were a guy. I talked to you earlier, on the phone and told you what happened."

"I'm not Alex," Max. informed her, nodding towards Alex. "She is."

Britney sniffed and stood up, tears running down her face. "I, I hit her car with my truck and sh, she told me to call an Alex and tell her she's sorry. I thought that-"

"You hit her?" Alex asked, and Elliot slowly got in front of her, seeing her fists ball up.

Britney nodded letting out another sob. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I swear to god! I dropped my phone and I bent down to look for it and I slammed into her!"

Elliot thought for as long as he lived, he would have never seen Alexandra Cabot, one of the wealthiest, most distinguished, and high class lawyers in New York, try to jump over a six foot one man to attack a teenage girl, and damn near succeeding. But that day he did.

"I'm sorry!" Britney shrieked, backing away from Alex who was trying to claw her way over Elliot.

"You could have killed her!" Alex screamed, her tears coming in drones, struggling to get away from Elliot.

"I didn't mean it!"

"I love her, she might be dead because of you!"

Britney let out another sob, almost sinking to the floor as Max. ran over to help her stand back up.

"Alex, calm down," Elliot pleaded, putting her back on the floor and struggling to hold her back.

Alex wrenched out of Elliots hold and looked at Britney, never thinking she could have hated someone as much as she did that young girl right then. "If she dies because of you... I can personally guarantee I will not rest until you spend the rest of your life in jail!"

Elliot pulled Alex away from the waiting room, leaving Britney sobbing hysterically on the floor, Max. trying to comfort her.

"Let go of me!" she shouted as he pulled her into an empty room.

She paced for a few moments, the tears heavy in her eyes. "That little bitch deserves to go to jail!"

"We don't even know what damage was done to her."

"I don't care! She was in a little tiny car, Elliot, and was hit by a truck! There's no way she came out of that unscratched!"

"That's why she's in surgery right now. But she's strong, she'll make it," Eliot said, trying to convince himself as well as Alex.

Alex stopped her pace to look at him, a look of defeat and desperation heavy in her face. "You don't know that. What if she messed up her back so bad she can't ever walk again? Or wh, what if she hit her head so hard that sh, she comes out acting like a one year old?"

Elliot shook his head, tears in his own eyes now. "That's not going to happen, Alex. That can't happen. She's too much of a fighter to let it."

"We don't know though!"

Alex let out a sob and almost collapsed onto the floor, Elliot rushing over to her.

"Alex, listen to me," Elliot demanded, forcing Alex to look at him. "She may come out of this with just a few scratches, or she may, she may have to go into a nursing home for the rest of her life. We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. But right now we need to stay positive for her, okay?"

Alex shook her head, letting out another sob. "I never got to tell her I was sorry, that I made a mistake."

"Alex, the last thing she thought of before she passed out was you, she wanted you to know she was sorry. She knows you didn't... you didn't mean anything you did to her, and you would take it all back if you could. She loves you, Alex, and she knows that you love her. But we can't think about that right now. She needs us to think she's going to come out of this alive and unharmed, okay?"

Alex nodding, forcing herself to believe Elliots words before the door opened and Max. looked in.

"The doctor wants to see Elliot," he said before he backed out of the room.

Elliot took a deep breath before turning to Alex. "You ready?"

Alex nodded once more before they left the tiny rom and went back into the waiting room, where Britney was sitting at the furthest seat, looking down at the floor, a steady stream of silent tears making their way down her face.

Alex glowered at her for a moment before turning to the doctor who stood in front of them.

"I can only give this information out to family or the medical point of contact," the doctor said looking at Max. and Alex.

"I'm her father and this is her sister," Max. said, almost daring the doctor to challenge him.

The doctor sighed but nodded before turning to Elliot, his face unreadable.

"How is she?" Elliot asked, a part of him not wanting to know.

The doctor looked down at the clipboard in his hand before looking back up at them and answering. "She has four broken ribs, her collar bone was shattered, her left arm is broken in three places, not to mention a collapsed lung, and her legs have a few very deep cuts. We patched those up, and luckily, there was no neck or back injury. But I'm afraid it's her brain that we're mostly concerned about."

Alex bit her lip to keep from sobbing, wringing her hands together, trying to keep from lashing out at the doctor.

"When she was in the crash, she hit her head pretty bad, and her brain started to swell. She's in a coma."

Alex felt the room spin and Max. had to hold her up to keep her from collapsing, letting out a sob.

"So... so do you know when she's going to wake up, or is she ev, ever going to wake up or what the hells going on?" Elliot asked, keeping his own tears at bay.

"We're not sure. And if she does ever wake up, when someone suffers a head injury, sometimes there's damage, sometimes There's not. She could come out of this with just a big headache, or have the mental capacity of a three year old. There's no way to be sure until she wakes up."

"So you don't even know if she's going to be okay if she ever wakes up?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."

"Can I see her?" Alex asked, her voice breaking once more.

The doctor nodded. "Of course, room 213. Follow me and I'll show you."

"I'll stay here and wait for your mother," Max. said as he went over and sat besides Britney.

Alex and Elliot at once went to follow the doctor, Alex's heart pounding so loud, she was sure they could all hear it.

She bit back another sob as the doctor opened the door for them, the machines beeps the only noise in the room.

Alex looked upon Olivia for a moment before she slowly walked up to her.

Her head was bandaged in thick white gauze, her eyes firmly shut. Bruises, and cuts covered what they could see of her body, and her entire upper half seemed to be covered in gauze and casting, her left arm in a heavy sling.

The sight of Olivia like that proved too much for Alex, and she finally broke down.

She all but collapsed to the floor, hysterical sobs escaping her, holding Olivias right hand as tight as she could, almost if pleading Olivia to take some of her life.

Alex kissed her on the lips, nuzzling her neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered, unable to stop the tears. "I'm so sorry. Please be okay."

"Some kind of sister," the doctor muttered before leaving the room, leaving Elliot alone with Alex.

Elliot walked over to them, bending down next to Olivia, gently moving the hair away from her face as Alex rested her head on Olivias chest, the tears falling thick and heavy onto the sheets.

"She'll be okay," Elliot muttered, pleading with both Alex and himself to believe his words

Alex said nothing as she wrapped his arms around her, burying her face in her hair.

"I love her so much," Alex whispered. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if she never wakes up."

"She's going to be fine!" Elliot said firmly. "I promise you, Alex, she's going to wake up, and she'll be just the same."

Alex didn't even turn to look at him as a fresh batch of tears made their way down her face. "I want to believe you so much."

"Why don't you then?"

"Because life isn't a fairytale."

For the next day, Alex did not leave her side for anything, continuing to hold her hand, simply looking down at her, willing her to wake up and to be okay.

The other squad members had stopped by, but Alex would not give them time alone with them, too afraid that she would wake up and Alex would not be there.

Both Max., and to Alex's surprise, Lila had stopped by as well, to visit. Although Lila's visit didn't consist of anything more then telling Alex she needed to eat and change her clothes.

Alex had told her she wasn't hungry, and that she didn't care whether she had to stay in the same clothes for a week. She would not leave her alone.

Lila offered to stay with her if Alex would just go get some food, and Alex thought that if Olivia did wake up and the first thing she saw was Lila, she was sure Olivia would think she had died and gone to hell.

What she said instead, was that she couldn't stand it if she wasn't there when she woke up.

Lila finally given up and left the room, leaving the two lovers alone once more.

The next night, Christmas Eve, Alex continued to stay with her, not even looking up as she heard two foot steps enter the room.

"We brought you some Christmas Eve dinner from downstairs," Max. said as he put the plastic tray full of food on the bed stand.

Alex didn't even mutter a word of thanks as Lila and Max. sat down in the chairs on the opposite end of the bed.

Max. sighed and put a hand under Alex's head, forcing her to look at him. "Alex, you have to eat something. Starving yourself is not going to make her wake up."

Alex still remained silent, as she looked back down at Olivias sleeping form.

"I know she's your best friend," Lila said. "But really, Alexandra, this had gone far enough. I think I saw even Elliot take a bite or two from a chip bag, and he's dating the woman."

"I don't care," Alex mumbled, still not looking up from Olivias face. "I'm nothing without her."

"I think you can make the rent payments by yourself, Alexandra," Lila said, trying to get a chuckle out of Alex, and failing miserably.

Alex pushed the hair out of her face once more, letting her hand rest on her cheek, tears falling down her face.

Another set of footsteps came in and a nurse walked in, looking sympathetic.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Cabot. I know I let you spend the night last night, but tonight I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. Visiting hours have been over four hours ago."

"Can't she just have-" Max. began, but the nurse cut him off.

"I'm sorry. If it was up to me, I'd let her stay here all night again. But the chairman of the board is supposed to do a surprise visit sometime in the middle fo the night, and the administrator doesn't want anything out of place."

Max. sighed and nodded. "Thank you for telling us. We're be gone shortly."

Alex bit back a sob and nodded in agreement.

The nurse offered the group a sympathetic smile before leaving the room.

"Come on, Alexandra," Lila said softly standing up from the chair along with Max. "I don't you to get in trouble."

Alex stayed silent as leaned down and gently kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you," she whispered lowly in her ear before she too stood up and turned away from her.

They were almost out the door, when a tiny cough made them turn back towards the bed, Alex's eyes widening in shock.

Olivia let out another cough, her eyes blinking open.

"We need a doctor in here!" Max. shouted out the door as Alex raced back to the bed and kneeled down beside her bedside.

"Don't try to breathe," Max. told Olivia as she began struggled to breathe. "You have a tube down your throat doing your breathing for you."

At that moment, a doctor and a nurse raced in the room and rushed over to Olivia.

"Breathe out," the doctor told her as he pulled the tube out.

Olivia let out several hacking coughs, a tiny trickle of blood coming out her mouth.

"The blood is normal after lung surgery and having to intubate," the doctor told Alex who looked up at him in fear before she turned back to Olivia who collapsed agasint her pillow.

"Olivia," Alex said softly as Olivia turned to look at her. "Olivia, are you okay?"

Olivia looked at her for a moment before she spoke.

"Alex," Olivia whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "You're here."

Alex nodded, letting out a relieved sob. "Yeah. I could never leave you."

Olivia tried to sit up, before resting against her pillow once more. "Holy shit, that god damn hurt," she groaned, holding her chest.

Alex let out a relieved laugh mixed with a sob. "Getting hit by a truck will do that to ya."

"Nice to know you're language is still just as colorful, Miss. Benson," Lila's voice rang out.

Olivia turned towards her and groaned. "God, please just put me back in the coma."

"Under the circumstances, I am willing to let that one slide, Ms. Benson," Lila said, slightly glaring at Olivia. "Don't expect another freebie, however."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said with a half hearted smile before turning back to Alex, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, for everything, Alex. For almost telling your mother your secret and for what I said at Elliots. I don't want you out of my life. I don't know what I would do without you in it actually. You're my best friend, Alex."

Alex sniffed, not even bothering to wipe the tears away. "And you're mine too, Olivia."

The two women smiled at each other before Alex took a deep breath. "When I thought I was about to lose you, I was so scared. You would never get the chance for me to say I'm sorry too. For everything I've done, for all the lies I've told, and all the times I hurt you. You don't deserve that, Olivia. Mom."

Alex took another deep breath and turned to Lila who seemed not confused at the exchange like Alex thought she would, but almost smiling. "There's something I have to tell you. Something I've been hiding for the last few years in my life because I thought that you would be ashamed of me, or angry, or whatever. But I don't want to lie about it anymore. I almost lost the most important thing in my life, and I don't want her to think that I'm not willing to do this for her. Mom." Alex took another shuddering breath, closing her eyes for a moment before looking back up at Lila. I'm-"

"I know!" Lila cried out, almost exasperated. "I've known since you were fifteen and every other girl your age had a photo of Def Lepard under their pillow and you had Madonna."

There was complete and utter silence in the hospital room for a few moments before Alex finally found her voice. "You know? You know I'm a-"

"That you prefer the same sex as opposed to the opposite, yes, for over twenty years."

Lila sighed and sat down in Alex's previous seat, looking down at the floor.

"So you knew that me and Alex were a couple," Olivia snapped, narrowing her eyes at Lila. "Yet you still tried to make my life hell and you still tried hooking her up with Edward."

"I do apologize for that second one. I had no idea his morals and values were so low," she admitted truthfully.

"So making my life hell, the insulting my age, my clothes, my job, my mother, my looks... that was what? Fun and games?"

"And if Edward wasn't an idiot, would you have still tried to push us together?" Alex growled, crossing her arms.

"Probably."

Alex shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you. You know I'm gay, but you still want me to say 'screw you' to Olivia, the woman I love, just so you can save face!"  
"No, that's not it! I don't care what others may think... to a degree. But, Alexandra, please try to understand something. I did it so you can save face, not us."

She got up and walked over to her, taking her by the hands. "Ever since the early twentieth century, both sides of your family, the Cabots and Rockwells have had it easy. Even when the rest of the country was dirt poor, we still remained on top, we still had everything come to us easy. We never had to struggle or had any hard ships in our lives. I wanted that same thing for you, Alexandra. I don't want your life, and I know it's going to be because of your sexual orientation, to be difficult. And if you were heaven bent on sticking to your preference, then at least I could set you up with someone a little bit higher on the food chain. Everything I did, I did to try to protect you, Alexandra."

"So you don't care if she's gay, just that she's dating a poor lesbian instead of a rich one," Olivia said, shaking her head. "That's nice, Lila, really."

"Mom," Alex sighed, rubbing her temples. "I'm a lesbian, and I love Olivia. Nothing can change that. I don't want some rich, silver spoon fed, uptight woman when I have the perfect woman sitting right there."

"But, Alexandra, think of it. Being gay is really not that big of an issue in politics anymore. I mean it will be difficult, but some are willing to look past that. But dating a poor, no one in their eyes cop... that's rather distasteful to all of them."

"I don't care," Alex said with a shrug. "I'm in love with her, and I'm not going to leave her because you say to."

Alex looked over her mothers shoulder to Max. and smiled. "No one should have to leave the one they love because of their parents."

Max. chuckled and nodded before coming up to Lila, wrapping an arm around Lila's waist.

"I agree completley with you on everything, Alex. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wondering what if."

Alex nodded before turning back to Lila who seemed almost torn.

"I'm not leaving Olivia, bottom line. You can either accept that, or you can fight a losing battle, but I'm never gonna change, mom. I love her too much."

Lila sighed before walking over to Olivia.

"You're poor," she said, looking directly at her. "Loud, crude, ten years older then her, a poor sense of fashion, and you wouldn't know styling products if they came up and bit you."

"Don't be afraid to tell me what you really think, Lila, just let it all out there," Olivia said dryly.

"However," Lila said, holding a hand up to silence her. "My daughter seems, for some reason, to love all those things about you. So I guess I'll have to learn to accept those as well."

"Thanks... I guess," Olivia said looking over at Alex who was shaking her head in disbelief before walking over to them. "We've been dating for two years, lived together for one, she's never dated Elliot, discovered she was gay at age 12 and hasn't looked back since, and no she is not a republican. She is a head strong liberal democrat."

"Oh, Alexandra, say it isn't so!" Lila pleaded. "Please!"

"I'm sorry, Lila, but yes, I am a democrat."

"Oh good lord, I need to sit down!" Lila cried, clutching a hand to her heart before collapsing in a chair once more. "My Alexandra dating a Democrat, and a liberal none the less. How on earth could this have happened?"

Max. chuckled before going up behind her and began to rub her shoulders. "We'll get past the shame somehow, dear."

Alex chuckled before turning back to Olivia. "Anything else?"

Olivia thought for a moment before she smiled. "I think that's everything."

Alex took a deep breath before looking down at he floor. "So, are we back together, or should I start packing your things up?"

Olivia thought for a moment before she nodded over to her coat. "Go get me my coat over on that chair."

Alex at once obliged and handed Olivia her coat, her heart pounding as she awaited her answer.

Olivia took a deep breath as she reached into her pocket, not pulling out anything.

"I love you, Alex. I'm never gonna deny it because it'll always be true. And even though both your parents already knew about us," she said with a smirk towards Max. "You about to admit what you are proved to me that you would be willing to do anything to be with me again, whether its telling your parents your secret or walking in a blizzard just to talk to me. You're the most amazing woman I ever met, and I'm never going to stop loving you. Alexandra Cabot will you- wait what time is it?"

Alex looked at her watch before turning back to her. "It's just after midnight. Merry Christmas, Liv."

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "Perfect. I would have gotten down on one knee to do this, but it hurts too much right now, so Alexandra Cabot."

Olivia pulled the tiny velvet box out of her coat and opened it, revealing the ring to Alex. "Will you marry me?"

Alex let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand, nodding yes, the biggest smile any had ever seen on her face. "Yes!"

Olivias face broke into a smile as Alex reached over and kissed her passionately on the lips, being carful not to touch her upper body.

Lila cleared her throat loudly, but both lovers ignored it as Olivia ran her hands through Alex's hair, holding her as close as the pain would allow.

"I think we should leave these two alone for a bit," they heard Max. whisper to Lila, who grumbled in agreement.

They both got up and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind them.

They finally pulled away, but they still continued to hold one another, neither ever wanting to let go.

"I love you," Alex said, tears running down her face, the smile one her face going nowhere fast.

"I love you too," Olivia breathed before she slipped the ring on to Alex's finger.

It was a perfect fit.

Please Review. No this isn't the end.


	9. Chapter 9

**I own no one but my own people.**

**A/N I didn't realize that saying "This isn't the end" made people think there will be a lot more. I just meant there was one more chapter left, which is this. However, once you get to the end, I've got a huge, big surprise for you all :)**

January 2nd, 4:47 PM, Hospital.

"So when are they springing you from this joint?" Elliot asked as he took a bite of what the hospital had called Chicken Alfredo.

Olivia shrugged, taking another sip of her soda. "Well, seeing as how I broke my arm in three places, four broken ribs, my collar bone is gone to hell, my legs still has slivers of glass and metal in them, and I was in a coma for a more then a day... they're letting me out this afternoon."

"Don't be a wise ass," he muttered as he took a few things of broccoli. "Alex actually left your side today?"

Olivia nodded as she took the fork away from him and bit into a bite of chicken. "Lila and Max are leaving today, so she went to help them pack, and she's bringing them by to say goodbye and thanks for all the great memories this past week."

Elliot chuckled. "Well I'm glad you guys got it all worked out. You deserve to be happy, Olivia."

"Thank you, Elliot. That means a lot coming from you."

"You're my best friend, Liv, of course I would want you to be happy."

The two partners smiled at one another before Elliot took another stab at her noodles. "So have you and Lila become bestest buddies now that she knows that you're gonna be related to her in a few months?"

Olivia scoffed, taking her fork away again. "Please. She hates me just as much, except she calls me Olivia instead of Miss. Benson now, although thats the biggest improvement I could have hoped for in the course of a week, I guess."

"But at least you and me don't have to make out like high schoolers whenever shes around anymore. Although..."

A leer appeared on Elliot's face. "If you ever want a refresher in what the male sex tastes like, I'm always open to teaching."

"Yes because I'm going to wake up one day and go, 'hey, I think I really like the cock instead of the hole. Wheres Elliot at?'."

"What the hell kind of conversation did we just walk into?" Alex asked from the doorway, Lila and Max standing there as well, Lila looking scandalized at Olivia's choice of words.

"Really, Olivia, are you going to belch your vows out at the ceremony?" Lila snapped as they walked into the room.

"Naw, I'm gonna get them tattooed on my breasts and then just flash them to everyone in the church."

"Alex, you make damn sure my seat is right next to bride number 2," Elliot said as he got up from the chair to let Alex sit down.

Alex chuckled as she held Olivia's uninjured hand. "How you feeling?" she asked softly

Olivia shrugged. "Lots of excruciating, unbearable pain, not able to move my neck, my legs feel like they're on fire, you know, the usual."

A smile appeared on Alex's face. "Anything I can do to make you feel better?"

Olivia chuckled and looked her up and down. "I can think of a few things."

"Oh good heavens!" Lila gasped as Alex leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Have you ever heard of a thing entitled being subtle?"

Olivia smirked before she sighed and turned towards Max. "So you two are leaving today?"

"Yeah. Three hour drive to Albany."

"And we wanted to leave before the traffic got much too bad," Lila said with a glance at her watch, "and considering it's almost five..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Max said with a chuckle. "You want to leave."

"Thank you, Max."

Lila turned towards Olivia and sighed before walking up to her. "Well... I don't believe in lying, so I'm not going to say it's been fun."

"Me either."

"So I shall simply say farewell, I hope you feel better, and I will see you before the wedding."

"Be, before the wedding?" Olivia's eyes widened, her breathing hastened. "You mean at the wedding, right?"

Lila scoffed, as if her meaning was obvious. "Do you really expect me not to have an input in my only child's wedding? Trust me, my experience and wisdom will be sure to make your wedding a success. Now for dresses, I'm picturing Alex in a beautiful, long, white, very traditional, with long sleeves, poofing out so that no unfortunate curves get shown. Olivia... perhaps something in a a nice dark red?

"And I think thats our cue to leave," Max said, steering her away from the wide eyed women.

Alex shared a look with Olivia before she stood up and went over to them.

"Bye, dad," she said before hugging Max.

"Bye, Alex," he told her before hugging her back. "I'm proud of you," he whispered in her ear before they released the hug, smiling at one another.

Lila walked over to Alex and hugged her.

Alex was slightly taken back before she tentatively hugged her back.

"I'll miss you, Alexandra," she whispered before she pulled away from her, bother mother and daughter taking the moment to look at one another for a moment before Lila pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed her eyes at it.

"Good gracious, I'm going to ruin my makeup," she sniffed before putting the handkerchief back i n her purse.

Max chuckled before going over to Olivia. "It was a great pleasure meeting the woman who makes my daughter so happy."

Olivia nodded, as Max stuck out his hand and Olivia shook it, unable to speak.

Max turned to Lila who cleared her throat and nodded at Olivia. "Goodbye, Olivia. Max, can we go now, please?"

Max sighed before he nodded walking over to her. "We'll call when we get home, Alex."

"Okay," Alex said with a half hearted smile as he went back over and sat by Olivia.

Lila looked back over at Olivia and Alex, and for a moment, Alex was sure she saw the makings of a smile on her mothers face, but it disappeared before she could have been sure.

Max and Lila left he room, leaving Alex, Olivia, and Elliot alone.

"Well half of Olivia's Chicken Alfredo was not enough. Alex, do you want something to eat from the cafeteria?" Elliot said as he went over to the door/

"I'm good, thanks," Alex said as she held Olivia's hand once more.

Elliot smiled at the couple before he too left the room.

"Well now that they're gone, what do you- Olivia, what's wrong?" Alex asked seeing a flood of tears storm down Olivia's face.

Olivia shook her head, the tears coming down even harder.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, a note of hysteria in her voice.

Olivia shook her head once more before taking a shaky breath.

"Then what's wrong?"

Olivia let out a sob, her breaths shallow and shaky. "She's gonna come back!"

Alex couldn't help but chuckle as she held Olivia in her arms, letting her fiencee sob in her arms, knowing all was perfect in their little piece of the world... for now, anyway.

The End

**A/N. I hope y'all liked this update, as well as the story in a whole. I mean it would be kind of dumb to read an entire story all the way through if you didn't even like it. **

**The squeal is coming soon, by the way. With twice the AO, twice the humor, twice the romance, twice the drama, and of course, twice the Lila. And just to get you excited, heres a little bit of a sneak peak.**

"Now really, Alexandra!" Lila cried, clearly exasperated, trying to make sure every piece of Alex's hair was in place. "I don't understand why you're so upset over such an insignificant detail like this when theres so much more that could go wrong today!"

"Because Olivia is missing!" Alex shouted, twisting away from her. "I'd say that petty little detail could be, you know, kind of important!"

A look of fear took over Alex's face, realization dawning on her. "You don't... you don't think he would do anything to hurt her, do you?"

"I think Olivia is more then capable of defending herself against him if he was stupid enough to try anything. God knows the woman is butch enough," she added, gaining a glare from Alex. "And just think of it this way. If she doesn't show up, you get a free cake out of this whole ordeal."

Alex simply looked at Lila for a moment before she pulled out her cell phone from her purse. "I'm calling her again," she muttered, storming away from Lila, fear and worry obvious in her face.

***Chuckles cruelly* Be sure to be on the look for,** **"Meet The Cabot's 2: Wedding Woes" coming to a fan fiction site near you.**


	10. Chapter 10

Hello all! Just bumping this story so that people who have never read them before or may have forgotten the first or second or even the third story can read them again and then start on the fourth and final installment of the amazingly epic MTC series which is now posted and ready to read.

Enjoy if you never read a word of them and enjoy again if you've read it before :)

Sincerely, Bella.


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